The Columbus Blue Jackets entered the Olympic Break as the hottest team in the league, but they still have work to do if they want to stay hot. Head Coach Rick Bowness talked about how proud he was of his team following a 4-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Feb. 4, but he also noted there is a lot still to fix.
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The best teams in the league can control the pace of a game. The Blue Jackets have been flying up the ice offensively, but then they get caught in an odd-man rush going the other way because they struggle to keep the puck in the offensive zone. How can the Blue Jackets capitalize on their speed without leaving themselves vulnerable in the defensive zone?
Blue Jackets Must Maintain Possession on Zone Entries
The odd-man rush has been among the Blue Jackets’ best offensive weapons this season, but they have also had many attempts entering the offensive zone that look jumbled, confused, and ineffective. Those entries end with a dump-in, a line change, and a wasted opportunity for sustained zone time. The Blue Jackets need to find a way to sustain pressure and not let it come in waves.
According to NHL EDGE IQ, the Blue Jackets rank in the top 10 in 22-plus mph speed bursts, with 71, and 20-plus mph speed bursts, with 1,147, at the time of their coaching change on Jan 12. The biggest benefactor of those speed rushes has been Kirill Marchenko, who has 11 goals off the rush, which ranks second in the NHL behind only Connor McDavid.
Goal Differential Above Expected – February 1 pic.twitter.com/xW4M0uwNQ9
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) February 1, 2026
According to HockeyStats.com, the Blue Jackets rank towards the middle of the league in goal differential above expected, and a major piece of this has been their defensive resurgence. The offensive chances and expected goals have been consistent all season, but the defense needs to remain structured, as it has under Bowness.
The “Bowness Bump”, where the Blue Jackets have found a very effective and productive defensive structure under Bowness, led to back-to-back shutout wins heading into the Olympic Break. If the team can continue to produce offensively while maintaining possession in the offensive zone and limiting chances defensively, as they have done lately, they will be able to control the pace of the game much more.
Blue Jackets Top Line Must Produce
The Blue Jackets have also seen a boost in offensive productivity under Bowness, but not from the team’s top line. The group of Marchenko, Mason Marchment, and Adam Fantilli has not been producing at the level expected of them.
They have been doing a lot of good things on the ice, controlling play, forcing the opposition to spend a lot of time in their own zone, and getting high-danger chances in the offensive zone. The scoring will come if the pressure continues, but the Blue Jackets need these three players to lead the team in production if they want to continue this hot streak after the break.
Marchment started the season red hot, but has since cooled off. He and Marchenko must find a way to keep peppering the net, and hopefully set off the cannon a few more times. Fantilli has struggled to find the back of the net recently. He has just one goal (and 13 assists) in his last 23 games. He has also rung more than a few posts, which shows just how close he is to scoring.
The Blue Jackets will need their offensive motor to continue after the Olympic break, as they return with games against the Boston Bruins and New York Islanders – two teams ahead of them in the standings, and currently in a playoff spot.
Blue Jackets’ Defense Has to Tighten Shot Angles
The Blue Jackets’ goaltending tandem of Elvis Merzlikins and Jet Greaves looked unbeatable heading into the break. However, they have been forced into making incredible saves because of defensive breakdowns in front of them.
In fairness, the team has seen a considerable improvement on defence, and has taken away many offensive opportunities from their opponents to help out their goaltenders. Cleaner looks for Greaves and Merzlikins will allow them to shut down opponents more effectively down the stretch.
Since the beginning of the 2024-25 season, among NHL goaltenders who have made 40-plus starts, only Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy (.921) and Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck (.917) have a higher save percentage than #CBJ Jet Geaves (.915).
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) February 1, 2026
While Merzlikins has started one more game than Greaves under Bowness, both have been incredible. Merzlikins has a 5-1-0 record, with a .925 save percentage, a 2.03 goals-against average (GAA) and one shutout. Greaves has a perfect 5-0-0 record, with a .924 save percentage, and 2.12 GAA and two shutouts.
Bowness has been pleased with both players, noting, “We have a lot of back-to-backs coming up, and we will need both of these guys a lot down the stretch.”
So far, the shared goaltending duties have worked to perfection. Now the Blue Jackets just need the defense to keep stepping up in front of them to help them excel and shut down games.
The Blue Jackets’ first game back is on Feb. 26 in Boston, before coming home on Feb. 28 to face the Islanders at Nationwide Arena.
