Last night, the Blue Jackets lost a game to the New York Islanders by giving up two goals in 29 seconds with right around a minute to play, and there was no coming back from it.
The Isles absolutely dominated the game from start to finish. The Blue Jackets did play well in the second and third periods, but you could just tell that New York was well rested and ready to go.
When Simon Holmstrom scored with 38 seconds left to essentially win the game, it felt as though this could be a season-defining moment. Immediately, fans wondered if this loss, should they miss the playoffs, could be pointed at as "The one that got away."
Elvis Merzļikins immediately lost his composure and broke his stick by smashing it on the crossbar. Dean Evason had "that look" on his face. The look that most dads have given their kids at some point.
When the final horn went off, Elvis left the ice like most of his teammates. Elvis came back out to the bench area, though, and was in obvious distress. This collapse at the end by the Jackets hit Elvis hard. Why? Because without Elvis, this game is probably 5-2. Merzlikins worked his tail off all game until the offense could come around. They did, in fact, come around when Denton Mateychuk broke the 1-1 tie a little over midway through the third period. But then the Blue Jackets would leave UBS with zero points, when they were a minute away from two. Yeah, this one hurt.
Whatever happens, though, this team MUST move on and get ready for Calgary on Wednesday.
Starting last night in New York, the CBJ are on a five-game road trip that will take them to Calgary, Vancouver, Edmonton, and then Seattle. This trip usually does not end well for Columbus. Below is a breakdown of how they've done historically on the Western Canada trip. In a very crowded Eastern Conference, these next four games are crucial.
Calgary - 15-18-1
Vancouver - 12-23-3
Edmonton - 14-14-3
Seattle - 1-3
The Good news is that Calgary is off to a horrid start, and the other three teams have the same, or close to the same number of points as Columbus.
After the Western Canada trip, they return home for three games, and then set out on the road again, going to Winnipeg, Toronto, Detroit, and Washington.
Brush it off, flush it, throw away the tape, whatever needs to be done to forget about the game against the New York Islanders.
The Blue Jackets are 7-5 with 14 points, currently sit 4th in the Metro, and hold the first Wild Card spot. No, that means nothing right now, but they've been playing well, and can't afford to falter any more than they have to, so this trip is crucial to keep pace with the rest of the Eastern Conference.
What's Next: They head out to Western Canada to take on the Calgary Flames on Wednesday, Nov. 5th, the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday, Nov. 8th, and then the Edmonton Oilers on Monday, Nov. 10th. They will wrap up their Western swing with a matchup against the Seattle Kraken.
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