If the Columbus Blue Jackets were going to take the next step in 2024-25, their performance against their own division was going to have to see massive improvement. At least as the calendar turns to 2025, there is some progress.
We now continue with our Blue Jackets’ mini series looking at trends surrounding the team. In Part 1, we discussed the need for better road play in the second half. Their game Saturday in Boston didn’t go as planned. That trend will be worth watching for the rest of the season.
The Blue Jackets wrap the 2024 part of their schedule up with a game Tuesday night against the Carolina Hurricanes. The teams split the first two meetings with each winning on home ice. The Blue Jackets won their game in a shootout.
That’s where the encouragement lies with the Blue Jackets and games within their division this season. They’ve played better against their foes while seeing some results in the process.
Last Season Was Ugly
The Blue Jackets don’t want to think about how things went in 2023-24. It was especially ugly against the Metropolitan Division. If it felt like they lost a lot of games, it’s because they did lose a lot of games.
The Blue Jackets went just 7-16-3 against the Metro in 2023-24. With just 17 of a possible 52 points earned, it was among the worst showings in the NHL.
The Blue Jackets went 2-9-3 against the Metro in the 2023 portion of last season. They managed to finish 5-7-0 in their last 12 division games.
On most nights, the Blue Jackets were simply no match for most teams. While they started getting some better results later in the season, the games didn’t as as much from a pressure and a postseason perspective. They were out of the race early in the season.
A Better Start
So far in 2024-25, the Blue Jackets are off to a better start against the Metro. Entering their game against the Hurricanes, they are 4-3-2 against the Metro. That .555 points percentage is marked improvement from the .326 they posted last season.
It begs the question. What has changed from last season to this season that the Blue Jackets are seeing this much improvement? Granted it is a small sample size just nine games. But some trends have developed within there that will be worth keeping tabs on.
Their home performance stands out. The Blue Jackets are 11-4-3 at Nationwide Arena going into their game against the Hurricanes. This includes 3-1-1 at home against Metro foes.
- 10/30/24: 2-0 win over New York Islanders.
- 11/15/24: 6-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
- 11/23/24: 5-4 win in a shootout over the Carolina Hurricanes.
- 12/10/24: 5-3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.
- 12/12/24: 2-1 overtime loss to the Washington Capitals.
The Blue Jackets have been able to stay in most every game outside of the Flyers game where they raced out to a 5-1 lead. The good trend here is being able to stay in the game before an opponent goes up 2-0 or 3-0 early.
Couple that with the Blue Jackets being in the top-10 in goals for and you have the start of something good. They are in much better position to not only win, but win in different ways. The young talent has improved. The coaching change to Dean Evason has had tangible results. Although the overall defensive numbers aren’t showing it, the Blue Jackets allow fewer shots per game than last season by a noticeable margin. They’ve gone from 34.4 against to 29.0 shots against per game.
Also some individual performances such as from Sean Monahan, Zach Werenski and Kirill Marchenko just to name a few, that has helped the Blue Jackets to see better results.
It’s all of those things that add up to a better chance to win against anyone but especially against their division. That improvement has allowed the Blue Jackets to stay within range of the playoff race. With a heavy Eastern schedule left, their fate will rest on their performance against the Metro.
Have to Keep Things Going
Tuesday night will be a big test for the Blue Jackets. The last time they met the Hurricanes, they got it handed to them. They have to win these games on their home ice when they have the advantage of the crowd and last change.
The Blue Jackets are in a part of their schedule where things get slightly easier than what they were. After the game Tuesday, they’re at home against the Red Wings and Blues. They then go to Pittsburgh, come home to play Seattle and then play in St. Louis against the Blues. Then they get two home games against the Flyers and Sharks.
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It’s not a stretch to think that the Blue Jackets performance in these next eight games could help determine where the rest of the season goes. Do well with these winnable games, they stay in the race. If not, then the potential trade deadline chatter could start to pick up in a major way.
The Blue Jackets know what’s in front of them. Tuesday night against the Hurricanes is where their focus is at. Winning this game would give them some momentum going into January. It would also reinforce that their work against their division is no fluke.
At least so far in 2024-25, the Blue Jackets are showing they’re no pushover. They now must keep that going if they want to play big games come February and March.