The Columbus Blue Jackets intend to fan their flickering playoff hopes with new head coach Rick Bowness behind the bench when they play host to the Calgary Flames on Tuesday.
Columbus, sitting last in the Eastern Conference with a 19-19-7 record, made the bold decision on Monday to relieve bench boss Dean Evason and assistant Steve McCarthy.
“I appreciate the opportunity to come to Columbus because it is a good organization with good people and this is a team that I think I can help improve,” Bowness said in a statement.
Bowness’ first game in charge comes after Columbus snapped a four-game losing skid with a 3-2 overtime victory over the Utah Mammoth on Sunday.
Columbus has missed the playoffs in five consecutive seasons, though it came close to ending that drought last season in Evason’s first year at the helm. Now the Jackets are at a turning point of this campaign. They are seven points out of the second wild-card berth held by the Washington Capitals, but they need to climb seven teams while trying to catch the Caps.
“This season has been a frustrating one for all of us and the bottom line is we are not performing at a level that meets our expectations. … And while this was not a decision that was made lightly it is one that needed to be made at this time,” president of hockey operations and general manager Don Waddell said in a statement.
Bowness, who will turn 71 on Jan. 25, was head coach of the Winnipeg Jets for a pair of seasons before retiring following the 2023-24 season. As a head coach he has been behind the bench for more than 800 games with the Jets, Dallas Stars, Phoenix Coyotes, New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins. He also has served as an assistant or associate coach in the league for 20 seasons.
The Flames, who sit 29th overall — three points behind the Blue Jackets in the overall standings — arrive in Columbus with two tilts remaining in a five-game road swing.
Calgary scored once in each of its three previous games before defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 on Saturday to end a four-game slide.
Although the clash was decided by Matt Coronato’s third-period tally that broke a deadlock, the success stemmed from Connor Zary’s first-period goal that opened the scoring and the way the Flames carried much of the momentum the rest of the game in what became a feisty affair.
“I liked our first period,” coach Ryan Huska said. “I thought we did a really good job of almost setting a tempo of the game in the first period. I think we were a hard team to play against. They picked their game up as it went along, but I thought we hung in there and stayed with it.”
Zary’s breakaway goal, created when he intercepted a pass at his own blue line, was his fourth in seven games. He managed only four in his first 36 games of what has been a difficult season.
“It feels great,” Zary said. “I think we had a good attitude in here. I think we had a good vibe, positive coming to the rink. We were having some fun. It was nice to go out there and grind a win.”
–Field Level Media
