Maybe it'll be a moot point. On May 8, we'll all find out together.
But on the night of Sunday, April 2nd, the Columbus Blue Jackets won a game against the Ottawa Senators that was probably bad for both franchises in the short and long run.
For the Senators, it's a humiliating loss against a Columbus team that dressed 12 players with fewer than 100 NHL games under their belts. The Senators had to run the table even to have a chance at the playoffs. This loss all but knocks them out of the playoffs, mathematically speaking.
For the Blue Jackets, it's a huge win if you're one of those 12 players. Brad Larsen and his staff should be proud and pleased, as well. And if you were in the stands at Nationwide Arena, I can't fault you, either, for being excited with the game's result. Also, children should be excused, for they can't be expected to understand the nuances of salary caps, free agency, and draft picks.
But for the rest of us, which unquestionably includes the team's front office, ownership, and fans who understand basic probabilities and the big picture, it was another devastating win for a franchise that, well, can't seem to understand the big picture.
The Blue Jackets have six games remaining in the season. Math dictates that they can't finish worse than 29th place, which will lock them in a top-six pick. Unfortunately, not all draft picks are created equally. And so it goes.
