BLUE JACKETS ELIMINATED FROM PLAYOFF CONTENTION

The hockey season can be a thrilling ride of highs and lows, with every team striving towards the ultimate goal of winning the Stanley Cup. Unfortunately, the Columbus Blue Jackets won't get that chance this year as they have been eliminated from playoff contention in the KPHL.

One of the main reasons for the team's downfall this season has been inconsistency. Columbus started the year strong, finding themselves in a favorable position in the standings for the first bonus payout of the year, but as the season went on, the Jackets struggled to maintain that success. It seemed as though Columbus couldn't quite find their rhythm and were unable to get on the same page as a team, even with the adjustments general manager MixtureBill made throughout the year, which included a coaching change mid-way through the season. 

The team's inability to convert on crucial opportunities has been detrimental, especially on special teams and particularly the power play, which was lackluster at best. With a seemingly stacked forward group including players like John Tavares, Johnny Gaudreau, Patrice Bergeron, Elias Lindholm, Valeri Nichushkin, and Patrik Laine, the Jackets were unable to make a significant impact with the man advantage. The team looks to finish the year converting on only 24% of their power play opportunities, which was squarely in the bottom third of the league. Columbus simply cannot afford to give away opportunities to score, especially in such a competitive league. The penalty kill didn't have the success the team needed either, finishing at only 73% on the season, which was the sixth-worst percentage in the league. Patrice Bergeron was one player in particular that had a rough season, not looking like himself on the ice. Bergeron is an established veteran and was named captain for the Jackets this year after joining the team via trade, but ultimately he struggled to find his rhythm. The impact of his lack of production was felt by his team, and it showed in the standings.

Even with the disappointing end to the year, there were a few individual players who were bright spots in the Blue Jackets' season. One of those players was Johnny Gaudreau who's scored 50 goals this season, becoming the second player in the league to do so. Gaudreau has also been the Jackets' top playmaker, garnering 49 assists to this point. Gaudreau's impressive feat is a testament to his skill, and his dual-threat contribution to the team did not go unnoticed by his teammates. Elvis Merzlikins also had a fantastic year, posting a .924 SV% and a 2.32 GAA which was amongst the best numbers of KPHL goaltenders. While he showed flashes of brilliance, he was unfortunately unable to will his team into the playoffs this season. An ominous detail for the Jackets heading into next season is that Merzlikins has struggled with consistency in the NHL this year, and as a result, there are concerns that he may not be able to be relied on as the team's starting goaltender next season. The Blue Jackets will need to explore their options in the offseason to find a goaltender who can anchor the team's defense and give them a chance to win every night.

Despite this need, the Blue Jackets are in a great position to have success next year. The team's core players are still in their prime, and there is a good mix of veteran leadership and young talent on the roster. The Jackets will look for rookie Kent Johnson to have a significant impact on the team next season and expect to have star blueliner, David Jiricek, join the team in the near future after a successful first year in the AHL. They may not have to wait long for a replacement in net as young goaltender Lukas Dostal, who had a fantastic rookie year for the Jackets, looks to make a quick impact at the NHL level. If the team can find a band-aid for their goaltending situation and continue to build chemistry, there's no reason why they can't make a deep playoff run in the future. In an unpredictable season, anything can happen, and unfortunately for the Jackets, luck was simply not on their side this year. Despite the disappointment of missing out on the playoffs, they must remember the progress they’ve made and use this experience as motivation to come back even stronger next season.