While the Blue Jackets and Red Wings are battling for draft position and lottery odds instead of a playoff spot with last night s win, Detroit moved one point ahead of Columbus at the bottom of the Central Division CBJ head coach John Tortorella has too much respect for the game to put that battle ahead of the one the teams will have on the ice to finish the season tonight.
In other words, there will be no tanking from the Jackets as they lace em up for the final time against the Wings. Oh God, I don t know how to spell (tank) and I don t think our athletes know how to spell it, Tortorella said earlier this week.
It all ends this weekend.
The 56-game season comes to a close with a back-to-back, as Columbus and Detroit will play tonight and Saturday to finish things off. While the Blue Jackets have started to play better hockey, as the shock of the trade deadline has worn off and the depleted roster has meshed some during a five-game point streak, the team is still ready to put this season behind it.
Sure, the front office brass has taken the chance to see some new faces in new situations down the stretch, and Columbus has played with pride in recent games against a pretty strong set of opponents. Yet being out of the playoffs for the first time since 2015-16 has made for a rough finish to the season.
For the last time on the season, the Blue Jackets will hit the road tonight.
Just five games remain on the 56-game slate and the last four will be in Nationwide Arena, with the Jackets now reaching milestones on the road to completing the campaign.
There will be no playoff hockey for Columbus, so the last eight days of the campaign will be it. There will be more game days than off days in the schedule down the stretch, a stark change from the last three days, as Columbus has not played since Tuesday s 1-0 shootout win over Detroit that snapped a nine-game winless skid.
What has to happen for the Blue Jackets to catch a break?
The shorthanded Jackets have lost nine in a row (0-7-2), tied for the longest win streak in franchise history, and the last two setbacks in Tampa Bay were marked by stretches of good play and bad breaks on two big goals.
In Thursday s series opener, goalie Elvis Merzlikins was hit in the helmet by a high stick moments before the Lightning scored the game-winning goal, leading to a protest from the CBJ netminder but a goal that stood because it couldn t be challenged.
Then in Sunday s finale, another bad break allowed the Lightning to score a key goal in the third period. Goalie Joonas Korpisalo suffered a lower-body injury with the team on the penalty kill and tried to fight through it, but he couldn t move over on a cross-ice pass, allowing Lightning rookie Alex Barre-Boulet to score his first career goal to tie the score at 3 in what would become a 4-3 overtime setback.
Elvis Merzlikins comments after the Blue Jackets loss to Tampa Bay on Thursday night underscored just how tough it is for the team right now as it plays out the 2021 season.
Columbus is 0-7-1 in its last eight games, one short of tying a franchise record for the longest winless streak, a mark that has been set three times, last in October/November 2014. I am tired of losing the game, Merzlikins said among other heartfelt comments. I know we are trying, but this is getting embarrassing. It is what it is. I am trying to be honest with you guys. It s painful.