The Chase is your morning primer on where the Blue Jackets stand in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs race. What happened, what's next, and who to cheer for.
We went in to Wednesday night pulling for Washington on the road at Philadelphia because the Blue Jackets in a three-team wild card race is a better proposition than the Jackets in a four-team race.
The Capitals obliged, hammering the Flyers, 5-3.
The Caps, 8–2 over their previous 10 games retake the lead in the Metropolitan Division, while the Flyers hold firm at seven points outside the second wild card spot.
| GP | GR | W | L | OT | PTS | ROW | L10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| METROPOLITAN | ||||||||
| WASHINGTON CAPITALS | 67 | 15 | 39 | 21 | 7 | 85 | 35 | 8–2–0 |
| NY ISLANDERS | 66 | 16 | 38 | 21 | 7 | 83 | 34 | 5–4–1 |
| CAROLINA HURRICANES | 66 | 16 | 36 | 23 | 7 | 79 | 35 | 8–1–1 |
| ATLANTIC | ||||||||
| TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING | 67 | 15 | 51 | 12 | 4 | 106 | 45 | 9–1–0 |
| BOSTON BRUINS | 66 | 16 | 40 | 17 | 9 | 89 | 38 | 9–0–1 |
| TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS | 66 | 16 | 41 | 21 | 4 | 86 | 41 | 6–3–1 |
| WILD CARD | ||||||||
| PITTSBURGH PENGUINS | 66 | 16 | 35 | 22 | 9 | 79 | 34 | 6–2–2 |
| MONTREAL CANADIENS | 67 | 15 | 36 | 24 | 7 | 79 | 34 | 5–5–5 |
| COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS | 66 | 16 | 37 | 29 | 3 | 77 | 36 | 5–5–0 |
| PHILADELPHIA FLYERS | 67 | 15 | 32 | 27 | 8 | 72 | 30 | 6–3–1 |
Boy do we have a big one tonight in the Metro. The Blue Jackets travel to Pittsburgh with big stakes. The Pens currently sit in the WC1 spot, two points ahead of the Blue Jackets, with each team staring down 16 final games to make their case.
The two teams will meet again in Columbus over the weekend and it's not a stretch to say that these could be the biggest four points of the season on the line.
Also in action, the Islanders at Ottawa and Montreal at San Jose.
| Home | Away | Who to Cheer for |
|---|---|---|
| PITTSBURGH (35–22–9, 79p) | COLUMBUS (37–29–3, 77p) | LET'S GO JACKETS! |
| OTTAWA (23–38–6, 52p) | NY ISLANDERS (38–21–7, 83p) | Sens. We're still counting on you, Anthony Duclair. |
| SAN JOSE (39–19–8, 86p) | MONTREAL (36–24–7, 79p) | The Sharks, who will be favored in this one. |
With a Blue Jackets win and a Canadiens loss, Columbus will find itself in the No. 3 spot in the Metro. Safely above the wild card fray, temporarily, at least.
It's not inconceivable. Montreal will have their hands full on the road against a very good Sharks team, but the Penguins have had the Blue Jackets number the last two years.
Today's stress ball: We were this close to seeing a goalie fight last night.
