The Chase is your morning report on where the Blue Jackets stand in the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs race. What happened, what's next, and who to cheer for.
Despite currently being in a playoff spot, the Columbus Blue Jackets' postseason odds are getting bleaker by the day.
A loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night in a winnable game was a gut punch, and the New York Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes grabbing point(s) weren't super helpful.
Here's where we stand on Sunday, March 8.
| GP | GR | W | L | OT | PTS | RW | ROW | STRK | L10 | Make Playoffs [#] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| METROPOLITAN | |||||||||||
| WASHINGTON CAPITALS | 68 | 14 | 41 | 20 | 7 | 89 | 31 | 37 | W1 | 4-4-2 | 99.94% |
| PHILADELPHIA FLYERS | 68 | 14 | 41 | 20 | 7 | 89 | 31 | 36 | W9 | 9-1-0 | 99.95% |
| PITTSBURGH PENGUINS | 67 | 15 | 39 | 22 | 6 | 84 | 28 | 36 | L1 | 3-7-0 | 93.90% |
| ATLANTIC | |||||||||||
| BOSTON BRUINS | 69 | 13 | 43 | 14 | 12 | 98 | 37 | 43 | L1 | 7-3-0 | 100.00% |
| TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING | 68 | 14 | 43 | 20 | 5 | 91 | 35 | 41 | W2 | 5-5-0 | 100.00% |
| TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS | 69 | 13 | 35 | 25 | 9 | 79 | 27 | 34 | L1 | 4-5-1 | 78.50% |
| WILD CARD | |||||||||||
| NEW YORK ISLANDERS | 67 | 15 | 35 | 23 | 9 | 79 | 24 | 32 | OT1 | 2-5-3 | 50.40% |
| COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS | 69 | 13 | 32 | 22 | 15 | 79 | 24 | 32 | L2 | 2-4-4 | 49.70% |
| CAROLINA HURRICANES | 66 | 16 | 36 | 25 | 5 | 77 | 25 | 31 | W1 | 4-4-2 | 76.10% |
| NEW YORK RANGERS | 68 | 14 | 36 | 28 | 4 | 76 | 30 | 25 | L1 | 6-4-0 | 15.60% |
| FLORIDA PANTHERS | 68 | 14 | 34 | 26 | 8 | 76 | 29 | 31 | W1 | 4-4-2 | 34.10% |
p - Clinched President's Trophy; x - Clinched Playoff Spot
We're thankful for the New Jersey Devils taking down the New York Rangers in regulation, but that's about all the help the Blue Jackets got last night.
The Hurricanes defeated the Islanders, which was the desired outcome of the contest, but it going to overtime and giving each team at least a point was brutal.
The Washington Capitals beat the Pittsburgh Penguins, which is something, too - but the Philadelphia Flyers and the Florida Panthers also both took home two points.
Tonight's Game(s) of Interest
| Home | Away | Who to Cheer for |
|---|---|---|
| PITTSBURGH (39–22–6, 84p) | CAROLINA (36–25–5, 77p) | The Penguins. They're already ahead of the Blue Jackets in the standings, so keeping the Hurricanes at a distance (who are closing in on Columbus) would be helpful. |
| VANCOUVER (35-26-6, 76p) | COLUMBUS (32-22-15, 79p) | The boys in blue. |
Blue Jackets Playoff Odds
| Make It In | 2nd Rnd | Conf. Finals | SC Finals | Win SC | Win Metro | 2nd Metro | 3rd Metro | WC1 | WC2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44.90% | 20.00% | 8.60% | 3.90% | 1.80% | 0.0% | 0.4% | 5.6% | 18.7% | 24.8% |
Odds courtesy of MoneyPuck.com
When there were 15 games remaining on the season for the Blue Jackets, it was reasonable to ask them to win at least nine of those games and grab a point in two of the losses. With only take 1/4 possible points through the first two since then, the future looks grim.
Today's stress ball: It's time to think back to a simpler (and more fun) time.
