Road trips have not been the Columbus Blue Jackets’ cup of tea this season. The stark contrast between their home record (20-6-4) and away record (10-18-4) is quite alarming. If this team wants to keep their playoff hopes alive, this is something that has to change—and fast.
With nine of their final 16 games on the road, many against Eastern Conference playoff contenders, Columbus must figure out how to compete in tough environments outside of Nationwide Arena. Their four-game road trip will now take them to the Northeast, where they’ll face two Metropolitan Division opponents, the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils—two teams directly in the mix alongside them in the playoff race. The Rangers, currently sitting just behind the Blue Jackets in the wild card standings, have a chance to leapfrog Columbus with a win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. This makes Sunday’s matchup at Madison Square Garden even more important for both teams.
“It’s gonna get harder, right? We gotta compete a little harder. We gotta battle a little harder. We gotta put pucks in areas where we can get it back instead of just hoping to get it into those areas. We gotta be a little firmer and heavier,” said head coach Dean Evason after Thursday’s 3-0 loss to the Florida Panthers.
Get More Pucks on Net
Against the Panthers, the Blue Jackets struggled at even strength (five-on-five). Despite goaltender Elvis Merzlikins keeping them in the game, allowing only two goals on 36 shots, the team couldn’t keep up.
Shot disparities like 36-16 vs. the Panthers and 46-21 vs. the Detroit Red Wings have been a recurring issue of late. The team has been spending too much time in their own defensive zone and conceded too many grade-A scoring chances in the past few games. Continuing this way is a recipe for disaster, especially in the midst of a tight playoff race, with many games against solid in-division teams looming.
Win the Special Teams Battle
Staying out of the penalty box will surely be a huge focus against the Rangers. In their game against the Panthers on Thursday night, the Blue Jackets took five minor penalties, one of which came from an unsuccessful coach’s challenge (delay-of-game). This led to the Panthers scoring two of their three goals on the power play, leaving the Blue Jackets scrambling for possession and struggling to generate offense, given they didn’t have the puck most of the night.
Columbus has struggled with penalty killing this season, ranking 25th in the league (74.7%). While there have been improvements lately, maintaining discipline is key with a struggling penalty kill like this. The Rangers’ power play isn’t overpowering at 19.9% (below league average), but their penalty kill sits at an impressive 82.5% (fourth in the NHL). Crisper passing and quicker decisions will be key for the Blue Jackets to make an impact on special teams, on both ends for that matter.
Also, simplifying their game—forechecking harder, breaking out cleaner, and generating traffic in front of the net—will be just as important to offset the Rangers’ strong defensive play, especially along their defensive blue line. Being heavier in all ends will help with this, winning more puck battles overall, leading to more shots on net due to more puck possession.
Continue Blocking Shots
Blocking shots has been a hallmark of this season under Evason. With the league’s fourth-youngest team (average age 27), the Blue Jackets have embraced a gritty, hard-working style. They blocked 22 shots in the Stadium Series game against the Red Wings and 15 more against the Panthers. Defensemen like Zach Werenski (108 blocks) and Dante Fabbro (103 blocks) lead the way, with four players boasting high blocked-shot totals, all defensemen, of course.
However, the Rangers also excel in this department, led by Braden Schneider, who has 117 blocked shots this season. To counteract this, Columbus must focus on getting pucks through to the net, creating screens, and capitalizing on odd-man rushes from quicker breakouts, allowing New York less time to get set up in their own end.
Build Some Momentum
If the Blue Jackets can get back to their identity, they have a good chance to take advantage of a tired Rangers team, who will be in the second game of a back-to-back and build momentum as they head toward the final stretch of the season. These next two games, against the Rangers and Devils, are critical. Two regulation wins (four points) could be monumental for their playoff aspirations, while even one win would help keep them up with the rest. With the Rangers breathing down their necks in the wild card race, Sunday’s game could be a turning point for both teams.
