These are bizarre times for the Blue Jackets.
Good start? Check. They were 14-7-0 in their first 21 games. That's a pretty strong pace, especially in a division that has shaped up to be unforgiving.
But then, the lull. It arrived in December and hasn't yet lifted.
Like a bad cold in the dead of winter, the Blue Jackets need to kick this funk the hell out of town if they're going to survive in this Metropolitan bloodbath. Recent results have given us mixed signals; they look like they're ready to climb out of it with a scrappy shootout win over Dallas, but then get steamrolled in Vegas.
They're now at the All-Star break, which used to be the halfway point. That's no longer the case. The Blue Jackets are nearly 50 games into their season and are running out of time. Now, we'll caveat this by saying they're still in playoff position, but one look at the standings shows just how precarious their position is. It's by no means a guarantee, but they're better off above the line then below it.
So, who are these guys?
Uncertain. That's not the best adjective, especially if you're head coach John Tortorella. A year ago, the Blue Jackets were assertive, confident and brought the pace of the game to their opponents. It hasn't been that way for long enough this season. They're playing from behind more often, they're getting out-shot and out-chanced, and their tempo has been a step off what it was in 2016-17. With largely the same personnel, this is a cause for concern. Without their attacking mentality and their foot speed, what type of team do they expect to be?
Inconsistent. Win a couple, lose a few. Start strong, fade away. Their inability to strong three strong periods together has been a microcosm of their entire season: they've not had a prolonged winning streak or points streak. It's been up-and-down and all over the place, with no rhythm or semblance of confidence, which made them so good a year ago.
Capable. This isn't an excuse by any means – but my god, this Blue Jackets team is good enough to be the second or third-place team in the division. There's really no reason for them to be plodding along as they have been. Tortorella hit the nail on the end earlier this week when he said his team lacks the killer instinct they had last season, that ability to smell blood in the water and bury a team when it had a chance. They've been the nail on too many nights this season, which is astounding considering how many quality players they have at every position.
Do I think they'll get in? Yeah, I do. But I'm worried about them.
I'm worried they'll go into February on the wrong verve. A hellacious month full of division games should be viewed as their opportunity to get some separation, but the pessimist looks at it with a more ominous tone.
We'll see how this shakes out, but this is for sure: they're a much better team than they've shown so far. And that might be the most encouraging thing we can say.
YOU SHOULD BE READING
- Some positive news for the Jackets yesterday, as Cam Atkinson rejoined the lineup in Arizona after missing 11 games.
- Blue Jackets prospect defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov is headed to the Olympics.
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