Listen, I've had crazier ideas.
Much more so than this.
After much deliberation, I've settled on the belief that the Blue Jackets are going to win their first-ever Stanley Cup playoffs series. Not play hard and come up short. Not push it to seven games. I'm on board with them winning a playoff series.
For many NHL teams, this is no big deal. They expect to get out of the first round and they expect to challenge for the Cup on an annual basis. But the Blue Jackets have been slow going compared to their counterparts – particularly the top competition in their own division – and only now are they getting comfortable with the playoffs being a regular thing.
Let's keep it that way, what'd you say?
This year just feels different. They're playing better hockey at the right time, there's less drama going into the postseason and no record-setting run held over their head. They had to fight their asses off just to get into the playoffs this spring, and 97 points was barely good enough to make it happen. The Blue Jackets, my friends, had 45 wins and almost had to watch the playoffs from the couch. That's insane.
But that's all in the past. They're in. They're set to face the Washington Capitals in the opening round, which is no small task. It's a different challenge than the Pittsburgh Penguins, the team that's made them look pedestrian in their last two playoff appearances – yet here I am, solidifying in my mind that I think the Blue Jackets are prepared to knock out the Metropolitan Division champion in the first round.
A few things have led me to this point:
1. Their lineup is deeper.
2. They had legitimate star power.
3. They have an advantage in net.
4. I'm damn tired of first-round exits.
Tell me I'm wrong. TELL ME.
Which part of the above is the most far-fetched? NONE OF IT, I say. Not a single bit of it.
The Blue Jackets have assembled their most talented and balanced team in franchise history. They've built their game to a crescendo in late March and early April, not late December. And they've shown an ability to score goals in 2017-18, something we weren't so sure of earlier in the season but are now completely convinced of.
It means Sergei Bobrovsky doesn't need to be perfect, but don't mess it up – he's got to be great. John Tortorella said it Monday: if Bobrovsky isn't their best player in this series, they don't have a chance. And he's right.
Usually, my takes are historically bad. They're almost always wrong. But I feel differently about this one and you all can ridicule me in a couple of weeks.
YOU SHOULD BE READING
- With captain Nick Foligno returning from a lower body injury, Sonny Milano will be a healthy scratch for Game 1 against the Capitals.
- Who will start Game 1 for the Capitals? Barry Trotz says he knows, but his goaltenders are still in the dark.
- Here's the complete schedule for the first round, including TV listings and other broadcast information.
- The 1OB Roundtable is back and we're wondering if "Playoff Bob" is ready to take a step into uncharted territory.
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