The Columbus Blue Jackets continued their march to a possible playoff berth with a 6-3 win over the New York Rangers. The win would move Columbus into third place in the Metro and also put the organization in a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. What has led to the team's turnaround and current points streak? Getting back to basics.
The Blue Jackets are 16-2-4 under Rick Bowness, who has made some rather simple adjustments that have greatly impacted on-ice production. When he was hired, Bowness said that many of the issues that plagued the team were correctable. So what exactly has Bowness done? Believe it or not, just three moves have led to the turnaround.
1. The Blue Jackets power play lacked early-season punch, and the unit struggled. Bowness moved Charlie Coyle to the top line unit, and the special teams unit moved from the bottom of the league to 17th.
2. Bowness has dramatically improved the defense. Moving from a passive high goals-against to a structured system that is hard to play against, which has made them one of the league's toughest to score on.
3. Better penalty kill: the better defensive structure has bled into the team's penalty kill. The unit has been much more aggressive and has a higher level of accountability.
Another aspect that was on full display Thursday night against the Rangers was the Blue Jackets fourth line. The exceptionally strong line scored two goals (Boone Jenner, Isac Lundestrom) and was more physical than the Rangers. Blue Jackets captain Jenner, who is in a contract year, has been centering the line, which speaks volumes about the captain.
The Blue Jackets look to keep things rolling Saturday against the Seattle Kraken.