The team’s best run in nearly five years has put the Columbus Blue Jackets into the playoff race.
Now, the onus is on the Blue Jackets to keep it running as they visit the Calgary Flames on Tuesday.
Thanks to a 6-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday to kick off a four-game road trip, the Blue Jackets have collected points in six consecutive games (5-0-1).
Columbus sits two points outside an Eastern Conference playoff spot and with two games in hand on the Philadelphia Flyers, who entered Monday in the second wild-card position.
“We’re finding ways to win, I guess different ways,” Sean Monahan said. “We’re starting to enjoy that, and you get on a roll, and things are clicking right now.”
Kent Johnson, who scored his sixth goal of the season against Chicago, has found the scoresheet in all nine games he has played this season, which was interrupted when he missed 14 games due to a shoulder injury.
Meanwhile, Zach Werenski has collected five goals and 11 points in an eight-game point streak, the longest by a defenseman in franchise history.
“Just happy we got the win,” Werenski said. “Great start to our road trip.”
The Blue Jackets also appear to have turned a corner in an important way. In the past few seasons, a goal against too often derailed the young team. Against Chicago, they replied within three minutes each time the Blackhawks scored.
“It’s huge,” Werenski said. “You obviously don’t want to play from behind. It’s nice to respond quick. It definitely makes the game a little bit easier.”
The Flames are in need of home cooking to get their game back on track after losing all four games (0-3-1) on a road trip.
Calgary has lost seven consecutive road games, the latest a 6-2 setback to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday, one night after a 5-2 defeat at Columbus.
On the other hand, they have won five consecutive home games and are 9-3-0 on their ice.
“We’re just an easy team to play against,” forward Jonathan Huberdeau said. “I feel like we’re taking penalties, the PK needs to get better too.”
Calgary has surrendered 23 power-play goals, second-most in the league. Opponents scored eight power-play goals against the Flames during the four-game trek.
Adding to their woes, the Flames are the first team to score three goals or fewer in 22 consecutive games since the 2014-15 Arizona Coyotes.
During Monday’s practice, those frustrations were put aside as the Flames welcomed the family of the late Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau in anticipation of the game between Johnny Gaudreau’s two NHL teams.
The brothers’ father, Guy Gaudreau, was on the ice with the players, which was therapeutic.
“He loves talking about hockey, so we tried to spend a lot of time talking about hockey,” Rasmus Andersson said. “I told him he’s got to help us out there, to get our goal-scoring going. He had his own conclusion (on) why we’re not scoring, so it was great just talking to him about that.”
The Flames have summoned forwards Jakob Pelletier and Walker Duehr from the minors in the hopes of adding spark. Both have lit up the AHL with 19 points apiece in 20 games for the Calgary Wranglers. The Flames also sent forward Adam Klapka to the Wranglers.
“It’s on me to help the team win, and to stay up here, and prove to everybody that I can play in the NHL,” said Pelletier, a 2019 first-round draft pick whose career was derailed due to injuries last season.
–Field Level Media
