The Columbus Blue Jackets have been on a tear for over a month now, and while what they have done has been incredibly impressive, they still sit one point out of the playoffs. While they have been a great force, there are still quite a few things they have to clean up to ensure playoff hockey will come to Columbus.
Their remaining schedule is not easy either, with 12 of their final 16 games coming against teams in a playoff position. Only five of those 12 games will come at home at Nationwide Arena.
Related: Tired Blue Jackets Used Defense to Find Success on Road Trip
Playing on the road hasn’t fazed the Blue Jackets under head coach Rick Bowness however, as they are 7-1-1 on the road since Bowness’ hiring on Jan 12.
These games will be extremely valuable with massive playoff implications on the line, and could mean the Blue Jackets having home-ice advantage in the postseason. They have the size and they have the gritty, pest-like players who are perfect for a playoff run.
Columbus has played a physical brand of hockey, and they have found their defensive game in a big way, holding opponents to less than 60 total shots over three games on their most recent road trip.
They have found a way to play up to their opponents and handle their business against teams they should beat. If they can continue to find ways to at least get a point in every game, they set themselves up well to make a push at the end of this season.
So, what do they need to clean up or fix lock up a playoff spot this season?
If you Lose, at Least Gain a Point
The Blue Jackets have been creeping back up on all the teams in playoff position since Jan. 1, where the Blue Jackets sat at least three points behind every other team in the Eastern Conference and were dead-last cellar dwellers.
That team has completely been flipped on it’s head and is now one of the hottest — if not the hottest — team in the entire league. They were on an absolute tear going into the Winter Olympic break, and now are just as hot coming out of the break.
Remarkable to think this 16-2-4 run which has earned #CBJ 36 of a possible 44 points hasn’t been quite enough to get them over the playoff bar. Sobering reminder how important games before Christmas really are.
— Dave Maetzold (@DMaetzMedia) March 15, 2026
However, the Blue Jackets struggled to close out games in the third period back in November and December. Those games lost them a lot of points, and because of that the hole was massive to climb out of. Even though they have gotten at least a point in 20 of their past 22 games, they are just now peeking out of that hole.
The light at the end of the tunnel is visible, but they cannot take their foot off the gas now. It appears the Eastern Conference playoff line will end up somewhere around the 100-point mark, which would be the highest it has been since the 2021-22 season.
Over these last 16 games, the Blue Jackets will need to find a way to win games, and if they can’t, at least take games to overtime. They need to stack as many points as possible, as they have on their current nine-game point streak.
Start Scoring More to Compliment Great Defense
The defense has really found it’s way as of late, shutting down some top level offences such as the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers. The defense had clearly been a focal point since the start of Bowness’ tenure in Columbus. However, the offense has struggled to follow suit.
The Blue Jackets have allowed just 2.62 goals per game since Bowness took over on Jan. 12, which ranks third in the NHL, and the offense has scored just 3.57 goals per game in that same stretch, which ranks eighth.
The road trip the Blue Jackets just returned from shows the extremes from the offense and defense. They allowed just five goals on the road trip, but scored just seven goals as well. They also did run into three very good goaltenders on the trip as well with Andrei Vasilevskiy, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Dan Vladar.
#CBJ held Tampa, Florida and Philadelphia to 58 SOG combined on the road trip.
18, 21, 19. Defense has come around.
— Mark Scheig (@mark_scheig) March 15, 2026
The Blue Jackets have the defense to compete in a playoff hockey environment, but the offense must find their way if they will have any chance in these types of games moving forward. The biggest piece to the goal scoring going forward will be sniper Kirill Marchenko.
He has been red hot lately, scoring three goals in the last four games. Not to be out done, 2026 Trade Deadline addition Conor Garland has scored four goals in his first five games since being acquired and has two multi-goal efforts.
If the offense can get moving, the Blue Jackets have as good a shot to get into the playoffs as any other bubble team in the East. The games still remaining against the New York Islanders, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, and Detroit Red Wings will hold a massive amount of significance; really, they are must-win games for the Blue Jackets.
