What a great time to take a breather.
Seriously.
Hasn't it been a little exhausting to watch the Blue Jackets lately?
One night, we're treated to a thrilling comeback in Toronto, a charge led by their talented group of young players for a win that felt like it could start to turn things around. A few days later, we're watching them get wiped out by two of the NHL's worst teams on back-to-back nights, the second one a drubbing on home ice at Nationwide Arena.
Yeah, it's time for a break.
Many of the Blue Jackets dispersed for warmer climates on Saturday morning, and more than a few people have mentioned to me that Friday's performance felt like they had one foot on the plane already. I'm not sure how much of that I buy, but I will say that getting smoked at home by the Vancouver Canucks almost certainly leaves the door open for a questioning of effort.
The Canucks are bad. They have drifted off the planet over the last few weeks and all they needed was a date with the Blue Jackets to feel good about themselves again. Sheesh.
So, thanks to the NHLPA and NHL bargaining to get the World Cup of Hockey back on the schedule every four years, every team must take a five-day break in the middle of the season. A year ago, teams took their bye weeks at different times; a change was made this year so that half the league takes its bye one week, and then, the other half takes its turn. Makes sense.
The Blue Jackets cannot practice again until Wednesday afternoon. They don't play a game until Thursday night, a home game against the Dallas Stars. By that time, they may have Ryan Murray back in the lineup. Brandon Dubinsky will be a step closer to a return. Cam Atkinson will have earned a week off his -to- week recovery and get nearer, as well.
All of this is desperately needed. The Blue Jackets have expended a ton of energy to not just squeeze points out of their schedule during a tough time, but also to simply score goals. They were shut out by the Colorado Avalanche, they scored but one goal against the Sabres and the Canucks made their offense look lifeless after a pretty good first period.
They'll use this break to bury the first half and get ready for what's ahead, because it's not going to be easy.
January is light, as we've covered previously. The Blue Jackets play four games between now and Feb. , when the schedule really starts to ramp up. They'll play a ton of divisional games in February and tackle three back-to-backs in the first three weeks of the month – which is why this bye week and the subsequent light stretch of the schedule is so important.
Get healthy. Get rested. Take advantage.
The Blue Jackets should make the playoffs. There's no excuse not to, but they have to be better than they've been over the last few weeks. Ending the pre-bye slate with two losses to dreadful teams should serve as a wake-up call, that even though they're considered to be one of the NHL's better teams, no one is going to roll over and hand them points.
We'll see them again Thursday against a Stars team that needs to make a run of its own or risk being left behind in the Central Division. The Blue Jackets, rested and rejuvenated, had better be up for the task ahead.
- Jack Johnson has asked the Blue Jackets for a trade, according to a report from The Athletic, and our Sam Blazer chimes in with more.
- Gather around the roundtable: the OB staff breaks down Johnson's trade request, recounts his best moments as a Blue Jacket, and what an ideal trade looks like.
- Here's Dan Dukart on the fine line the Blue Jackets are walking by throwing away points to bad teams.
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