The Columbus Blue Jackets start the second half of their season in place to make the Stanley Cup playoffs for the primary time in 5 seasons.
The Blue Jackets their enter Thursday recreation in opposition to the visiting Seattle Kraken with 42 factors and occupying the second wild-card spot within the Japanese Convention because of a 14-11 regulation-wins tiebreaker over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Seven groups under Columbus are inside 5 factors of the ultimate playoff place.
The Blue Jackets have not made the playoffs because the 2019-20 season, after they misplaced to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning in 5 video games within the first spherical.
Columbus, which has gained two in a row and 6 of its previous 9 video games (6-2-1), is available in off a 4-3 shootout victory over the Penguins on Tuesday. The Blue Jackets snapped a 15-game dropping streak (0-10-5) at Pittsburgh that dated again to a victory on Nov. 13, 2015.
The Blue Jackets overcame a 3-1 third-period deficit on targets by Dmitri Voronkov and Adam Fantilli within the closing eight minutes to ship the sport into additional time. Kent Johnson and Kirill Marchenko each scored within the shootout whereas Bryan Rust and Sidney Crosby failed for the Penguins, and enabling Columbus to leapfrog Pittsburgh within the wild-card race.
“Pay attention, this can be a totally different workforce than prior to now 10 years, no matter it has been,” Columbus coach Dean Evason stated. “We’re a special hockey membership. We’re taking part in the way in which that the Columbus Blue Jackets play immediately with a view to win. So, what’s occurred prior to now, it means nothing. It actually does.”
Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson stated, “It means two factors within the standings. It is massive. We have been made conscious immediately that it has been awhile, it has been a minute because the workforce gained right here. So it is all the time good to get a monkey off our again, however particularly on the highway.”
It was simply the fifth highway win in 20 video games (5-12-3) for Columbus, which has excelled on residence ice (13-5-3 with 5 wins in its previous six residence video games). The Blue Jackets additionally lead the NHL with 86 residence targets.
Seattle, which continues to be in search of its first win in 2025 (0-2-1), is beginning a five-game highway journey and has gained 5 in a row over the Blue Jackets.
The Kraken are seventh within the Pacific Division and are available off a 3-2 loss to the visiting New Jersey Devils on Monday. Adam Larsson and Shane Wright each scored and Philipp Grubauer made 26 saves within the defeat.
“We’re properly conscious the place we’re at within the standings,” Seattle coach Dan Bylsma stated when requested in regards to the significance of the highway journey. “We’re 41 video games deep now into the season and this highway journey is part of that. … Now we have to be actual centered on making some hay with the alternatives that we now have.”
The Kraken activated beginning goaltender Joey Daccord, who missed 5 video games with an upper-body damage sustained in a Dec. 22 recreation in opposition to the Colorado Avalanche, for the journey. Daccord is 12-9-2 with a 2.51 goals-against common, a .912 save share and one shutout.
“I used to be in a position to skate the entire time so I do not really feel like I misplaced an excessive amount of of a step there,” Daccord stated. “I have been working towards for a bit of bit now. I used to be on the ice the entire time. I do not really feel like I’ll miss a beat hopefully right here. Really feel fairly good.”
–Area Stage Media
