This season was shaping up to be yet another one to forget for the Columbus Blue Jackets. After finishing 2011-12 with the worst record in the NHL, the team lost their talisman Rick Nash to the New York Rangers in the lockout-extended off-season.
For a franchise that has made the play-offs just once in the 11 seasons it has existed, it wasn’t exactly surprising to note a lack of optimism around the Nationwide Arena. The one consolation was that the suffering would be brief and the reward at the end of this shortened season would be a good first round draft pick later this year.
But five straight wins and a first ever season series victory over the Detroit Red Wings has transformed spirits and an unlikely challenge for the play-offs might not be out of the question.
Columbus play-off hopes
Even before the recent winning streak, the team had lost many games by just a single goal, with the form of goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky a cause for optimism.
Bobrovsky has provided a degree of solidity in goal not seen since Steve Mason’s outstanding rookie season and recorded his first career shutout against Detroit on Saturday. The series victory over the Red Wings has huge symbolic value for the Blue Jackets in their likely last season as divisional rivals ahead of the proposed NHL realignment.
Columbus will now hope that after finally having a superior record against the only team they have ever faced in the play-offs can act as a catalyst for another visit to the post-season in what was supposed to be a transitional season.
Shortened season
It’s important not to get carried away though. There’s still the best part of two months to go in the regular season and the Blue Jackets are still four points away from the play-off positions in the Western Conference. Just as a run of form can bring the team into contention, a losing streak could pull them further away.
Fortunes can change quickly in a shortened season and it begs the question as to whether the standard length NHL season is just too long. This year, every game matters and could determine whether a team goes to the play-offs or its player get to go to the beach early. The NHL, MLB and NBA all have long campaigns that reward consistency, but can struggle to retain the attention of some fans.
Play-off trade off
Baseball is perhaps the most difficult to follow with teams playing virtually every single day during the season, with just a short break for the All-Star Game in the middle The MLB also has the fewest number of play-off berths up for grabs and the shortest post-season, resulting in many dead rubbers and few play-off matches for neutrals.
The NBA and NHL play-offs are fantastic knock-out tournaments to watch in their own right, but the climax to the regular season isn’t always the most interesting. A shorter season would of course mean fewer home games for each team, but it might be something to consider if attendances and TV ratings increase.
The Blue Jackets might yet miss out on the play-offs or even make a genuine challenge, but at least there remains a chance that this year could be the year that they finally bring play-off hockey back to the capital of Ohio.
