The Columbus Blue Jackets fell to the New York Islanders by a score of 2-0. They put plenty of shots on net. The defense stepped up when they needed it to, and they had solid goaltending from Sergei Bobrovsky.
It makes the loss all the more disappointing as they could have taken advantage of the standings situation. Now they are going to face an uphill battle as they have done for most of 2019.
Here are your three things:
Bob Up To The Task
Many times this season, the Blue Jackets have pointed to their goaltending as an issue. Sergei Bobrovsky though was up to the task against the Islanders. Although he let in a first-period goal.
Bobrovsky ended up saving 18 of 19 shots on the night for a .947 save percentage. It is good enough for his offense to at least give him a chance in the game.
What are the Blue Jackets going to do if they can't start scoring goals?
Islanders Choke Out Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets outshot the Islanders, but it felt like at every turn they were getting choked out by New York. They couldn't get to the spaces they need to, and because of it, they lost.
They can't dictate the game like they want to and because of it, they chase the entire game. That is what is happening more often than not for Columbus. It is partially due to line matching, line jumbling and everything else in between.
Everything is in flux, and they can't get any consistency. Where do you begin pointing fingers?
Time Is Running Out
Columbus' next run of games is a complete murderers row. They are going to face some of the best teams in the league. If they do make the playoffs, that may mean that they sneak into the final playoff spot against a Tampa Bay Lightning team that is as dominant as they come.
While Blue Jackets fans are likely more spoiled now due to the winning ways of the past couple of years, is a first-round exit worth all of the trouble? They need to take an in-depth look at themselves and decide what team they want to be.
As of right now, they are a borderline team, and if they want to succeed in the playoffs, they need to be significantly better than what they have been giving of late.
