Blue Jackets are proof no team in the East is truly out of playoff race yet
The Columbus Blue Jackets made a surprising move in mid-January when they fired Dean Evason to hire Rick Bowness as their new head coach.
Evason had done well last season given the difficult circumstances surrounding the team, but general manager Don Waddell and the brass clearly felt as though there was more meat on the bone this season when comparing the team’s results and talent level.
So far, they look correct. The Jackets have rattled off five straight wins and taken 9 of their last 10 games, going from near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings to knocking on the door of the playoff picture, just four points behind the New York Islanders for third place in the Metropolitan Division.
On Monday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, host Tyler Yaremchuk and co-host and former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton discussed why the success Columbus has had since the coaching change shows why you can’t count any team in the East out of the playoff race just yet.
Tyler Yaremchuk: “Those Blue Jackets, they are no longer just an afterthought, which is why again, there were a few people in the chat who were like, ‘Quit talking about the Leafs. They’re cooked,’ and I agree. I think the Leafs are cooked, but the Leafs are eight points out of a playoff spot, and I think in that room, they’re going to believe that if they can go on an eight-game winning streak, they’re right back in the mix… I think Ottawa is probably done, but again, they’re eight points out, and in that room, there’s still going to be that belief, and I think they can both sit there and point to the Columbus Blue Jackets, Hutts, who since Rick Bowness has taken over have been unbelievable… now all of the sudden, they’re only four points back of the Islanders, and they have a game in hand.”
Carter Hutton: “I think teams now are on notice. This is a copycat league. You’re always trying to see what successful teams are doing. Now you look at the coaching change, Rick Bowness comes in, what really changes? Not much, it’s the same roster. It’s the same lineup. They just put guys in different situations, finding ways to maximize them, and then the same thing goes in Buffalo. You get a general manager change, the roster doesn’t change a bit, and they’ve been the best team in hockey since the start of December. It just goes to show you that at times it’s not necessarily outside sources that are going to come in and save you, it’s just tweaks here and there.”
You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode here…