By The Numbers: The Inaugural Columbus Blue Jackets Versus The 20th Anniversary Squad

The two seasons were a bit more comparable than the 5th Liners of today would have cared for.

The Blue Jackets of 2020-21 had things than the inaugural team didn't have, some to their advantage, but some very much against it. The inaugural team had no expectations; this season's roster, coming off of four consecutive Stanley Cup Playoff appearances, had an expectation to succeed.

Players on the roster this year had to play in the midst of a global pandemic, with protocols that made travel tough and relationships tougher; the Blue Jackets roster of season one had no such qualms.

Still, given the talent on this season's squad, the on-ice stats should have been far beyond what the inaugural, Stinger-on-the-jersey version of the Blue Jackets put up.

Unfortunately, they were not.

Here's a look at the 2000-01 and 2020-21 Columbus Blue Jackets, side by side:

               THE STANDINGS 

This is kind of a yikes. While it feels like this season's team had more talent, the on-ice results say otherwise. The inaugural team had a higher point percentage, a better win streak, a better points streak, didn't have as long of a losing skid, and were better at Nationwide Arena than this season's version of the club. Hey, at least this year's Blue Jackets were better on the road (had they picked up one fewer road point this season, even this wouldn't have went their way). 

                       SCORING

While the 2020-21 Blue Jackets had a slightly higher goals per game average, it's worth noting that the game today is a bit different than it was at the beginning of the decade. Scoring is up all around, as evident by the Blue Jackets ranking 5th from the bottom in both seasons.

The scoring figures here were calculated on a per game average, because it's unfair to put the pure numbers of an 82-game season up against a 56-game season. But even then, consider this: Geoff Sanderson scored his team-leading 30 goals in only 68 games, and Espen Knutsen's team-leading 42 assists game in even less (66) games. Bjorkstrand's 18 goals and 26 assists, both of which lead the team, came in a "full" 56 games. If we were to calculate the inaugural numbers based only on the games that they played in, Sanderson's goals per game would rev up to .441, and Knutsen's apple average would shoot to .636. 

At least the power play was better this year?  

       DEFENSE & GOALTENDING

By every metric, the defense and goaltending of the inaugural season was better. For a team that had predicated itself on strength in those two areas during four consecutive trips to the postseason, the fact that this year's team gave up more than a half goal per game more than the year one club is less than optimal. The 2000-01 group was better on the penalty kill, had a higher team save percentage, and were ranked in the middle third of the league in regards to goals allowed. The tandem of Ron Tugnutt and Marc Denis averaged a shutout every 21 games, while Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins had just two on the season, for an average of one per 28 games.

If it still feels like, despite the near clean-sweep of statistics that show the inaugural team was better, the 2020-21 Blue Jackets would beat the inaugural squad, consider this: there's no measure of grit, and no metric for passion. Talent can only take a team so far in the NHL, and this is proof of that.