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The Columbus Blue Jackets and Philosophy

Don’t look now, but the laughing stock of the league in August has become the feel-good story of 2013.

The Columbus Blue Jackets, who sported a 29-46-7 record last season (good for last in the NHL) were belittled in the offseason for sporting “an AHL roster”. Their forward lines and defensive pairings lacked depth and star power. The goaltending tandem was deemed inexperienced and incredibly inconsistent. Most notably, now-former Columbus general manager Scott Howson was seen by everybody as a serious liability, with the potential to sign off on trades that could only be seen as laughable.

Blue Jackets Beat: Coyote Ugly, But Streak Extends to 10

If you had polled NHL scribes prior to this season, and asked which clubs were most likely to post a ten-game point streak in this shortened season, chances are overwhelming that Columbus would not have made the top 25 in that list. Yet — 29 games in — the Blue Jackets are the proud owners of just such a streak, which is still alive thanks to a befuddling 1 – 0 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes at Nationwide Arena on Saturday night — the club’s first-ever 1-0 shootout win.