The Columbus Blue Jackets hope this road trip is better than the one they went on in early November.
After a five-game road trip that began with a 7-2 loss to the Washington Capitals in D.C. on Nov. 2 and went through California and Seattle, the Blue Jackets dropped all five games as part of a six-game overall losing streak and lost as many as seven straight road games this season.
After such a disastrous trip, we discussed how Columbus was competitive in every game. They couldn't get the ultimate result of a win but the analytics showed they were doing the right things and going through the process of what they want to do in every game they play. They just weren't scoring in bunches like they have been able to do at home this season and a few critical mistakes magnified the difference when Columbus couldn't get the goals to fall.
| Scoring | Home | Away |
| Blue Jackets GF/GP | 4.25, 3rd | 3.17, 17th |
| Blue Jackets GA/GP | 2.91, 18th | 3.91, 30th |
"The swing out west, it wasn't that we were playing badly, except the Seattle game I'd say," Mathieu Olivier said last week. "I think overall we played decent hockey. We just weren't scoring and a couple mistakes that were costing us games but overall I felt the team performed decently except the Seattle game.
"We get home, we score, and now we got to do it on the road."
Coming off a 3-0-1 homestand including wins over the Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes, and Calgary Flames, and an overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens, the Jackets scored in bunches as they netted 20 goals in the four games. Who can forget the 7-6 come-from-behind victory over the Lightning?
Oliver helped cap off the successful homestand by participating in a pair of second-period scraps that energized the Nationwide Arena crowd.
Mathieu Olivier on this moment: I blacked out. Sorry, I dont have a better answer for you. I heard the Stone Cold music and I blacked out. #CBJ https://t.co/Iu8eQJKV7Y
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) November 29, 2024
"We're definitely going in the right direction," Olivier said. "We're still missing some big pieces but everyone that's playing is doing a really good job and we just got to find ways to win every night and that's what we're doing right now.
"We're a little over .500 but we're pushing for playoffs here so we got a lot of work to do."
After November started with a 0-5-1 mark, it felt like the Jackets were finally heading off the rails. They aren’t supposed to be sniffing the playoffs yet anyway. Yet, they were able to finish November with a 5-6-2 record for the month and have a winning record of 11-9-3. Now they're two points out of a wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Columbus has one of the league’s best home records at 8-3-1 and now is a good opportunity to see how they can compete on the road through tough Western Canada. Tuesday’s rematch with the Flames will be a bevy of emotions from honoring Johnny Gaudreau to possible on-ice carryover from last Friday and the three second period fights.
After Tuesday's game, Columbus will face teams all in playoff positioning including the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday, the Vancouver Canucks on Friday, and the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday.
Last Sunday, Columbus started the trip off on the right foot with a 6-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.
