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.
Following a two-day break to travel west, the Blue Jackets face off against the Calgary Flames this evening (9 p.m., FS-O). With only 10 games to play, they're all big this time of the year and the Flames will certainly be a test.
Calgary saw a three-game winning streak snapped Saturday night in Winnipeg, but the Flames, already in the postseason with 91 points, have the league's fourth-best home record this season at 23–7–5.
The teams' only other meeting this season – in early December – was a wild one. The Blue Jackets went up 4-1 in the first minute of the second period, only to see the Flames put eight of the final 10 on the board to leave Nationwide Arena with a 9-6 victory. Cam Atkinson had a hat trick, squandered.
Here's where we stand on Tuesday, March 19.
| GP | GR | W | L | OT | PTS | ROW | STRK | L10 | Make Playoffs [#] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| METROPOLITAN | ||||||||||
| NY ISLANDERS | 72 | 10 | 42 | 23 | 7 | 91 | 38 | W1 | 6–4–0 | 99.49% (+0.07) |
| WASHINGTON CAPITALS | 72 | 10 | 42 | 23 | 7 | 91 | 38 | L1 | 8–2–0 | 99.28% (+0.11) |
| PITTSBURGH PENGUINS | 73 | 9 | 39 | 24 | 10 | 88 | 38 | OT1 | 6–2–2 | 94.48% (-0.06) |
| ATLANTIC | ||||||||||
| p-TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING | 73 | 9 | 56 | 13 | 4 | 116 | 50 | W5 | 8–2–0 | 100% (NC) |
| BOSTON BRUINS | 72 | 10 | 43 | 20 | 9 | 95 | 41 | W1 | 7–3–0 | 100% (NC) |
| TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS | 72 | 10 | 43 | 24 | 5 | 91 | 43 | L1 | 5–4–1 | 99.77% (+0.01) |
| WILD CARD | ||||||||||
| CAROLINA HURRICANES | 71 | 11 | 39 | 25 | 7 | 85 | 38 | W1 | 7–2–1 | 94.47% (-0.11) |
| COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS | 72 | 10 | 40 | 28 | 4 | 84 | 39 | OT1 | 5–4–1 | 76.24% (+0.37) |
| MONTREAL CANADIENS | 72 | 10 | 37 | 28 | 7 | 81 | 35 | L2 | 4–6–0 | 32.82% (-0.20) |
| PHILADELPHIA FLYERS | 72 | 10 | 35 | 29 | 8 | 78 | 33 | W1 | 6–3–1 | 2.71% (+0.05) |
p - Clinched President's Trophy; x - Clinched Playoff Spot
With a 4-1 win over Arizona last night, the Tampa Bay Lightning clinched the Presidents' Trophy, hitting 116 points. No other team in the Eastern Conference has even clinched a spot in the postseason.
If there's a year to avoid the No. 1 seed, this is it.
Tonight's Games of Interest
| Home | Away | Who to Cheer for |
|---|---|---|
| CALGARY (44–21–7, 95p) | COLUMBUS (40–28–4, 84p) | The boys in white. |
| NY ISLANDERS (42–23–7, 91p) | BOSTON (43–20–9, 95p) | Bruins. Metro 1 is still in play, folks. |
| CAROLINA (39–25–7, 85p) | PITTSBURGH (39–24–10, 88p) | Tough one. Canes because Metro 3 is closer than Metro 1. Right now. |
| NEW JERSEY (27–37–9, 63p) | WASHINGTON (42–23–7, 91p) | Devils - and hopefully their AHL roster can pull off a miracle. |
| PHILADELPHIA (35–29–8, 78p) | MONTREAL (37–28–7, 81p) | Flyers. Habs are just three points back of the CBJ. |
| NASHVILLE (41–27–5, 87p) | TORONTO (43–24–5, 91p) | Preds just to watch the GTA melt down as the Leafs stumble down the stretch. |
Do we have a monster slate tonight. Four games, including the Jackets' tilt in Calgary, have an impact on the playoff race within the Metro Division. A fifth game pits two clubs chasing Columbus for the second wild card spot.
Here's how big tonight is: If the Jackets win and every other game breaks their way, Columbus could wake up two points out of the No. 3 spot in the Metro and just five points out of the No. 1 spot in the division. With nine games to play, that's a dream scenario.
Blue Jackets Playoff Odds
| Make It In | 2nd Rnd | Conf. Finals | SC Finals | Win SC | Win Metro | 2nd Metro | 3rd Metro | WC1 | WC2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
76.22% +0.35 |
30.8% +1.6 |
14.0% +0.6 |
6.1% +0.5 |
2.7% +0.3 |
1% NC |
4.1% +0.2 |
10.6% -0.4 |
23.0% +0.7 |
37.4% -0.3 |
Odds courtesy of MoneyPuck.com
Expect these numbers to jump if things go the Blue Jackets way tonight – in their game and in other games affecting the race.
Today's stress ball: Patrick Kane is an offensive wizard, but he'll never be a Selke candidate.
