CS-CBJ-WerenskiNorris The Columbus Blue Jackets are in a wild card spot for the first time this season. With their shootout win over the Pittsburgh Penguins last night, they jumped over them into the second wild card position. As we all know, this isn’t likely to last for the rest of the season. The teams battling for the wild card spots are too close in points for the Blue Jackets to comfortably stay there. However, if they continue winning games, they will remain in the mix and have a chance to secure a spot down the stretch. Right now, the only realistic path for the Blue Jackets to make the playoffs is through the wild card. The Metropolitan Division’s top three teams are at least eight points ahead of them, making it difficult to catch one of the Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils, or Washington Capitals. This means the rest of the Eastern Conference will be battling it out to claim the two wild card spots. The challenge is that all eight other teams in the hunt are still within arm’s reach. Wild Card Standings WC 1: Tampa Bay Lightning (44 points) WC 2: Columbus Blue Jackets (42 points) 3. Pittsburgh Penguins (42 points) 4. Ottawa Senators (41 points) 5. Montreal Canadiens (41 points) 6. Detroit Red Wings (40 points) 7. Philadelphia Flyers (39 points) 8. New York Rangers (38 points) 9. New York Islanders (37 points) 10. Buffalo Sabres (35 points) This is the first time in a while that the Eastern Conference has been this competitive. Typically, in the past few seasons, teams like Montreal, Buffalo, and Ottawa have been out of the playoff picture by December 1. While this makes for exciting hockey, it also creates anxiety for fans. Every game from now until April will matter. Teams in the hunt are likely to become buyers at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline. This wild card race is shaping up to be thrilling. Buckle up, Blue Jackets fans. If things continue as they are, the next three months could feature some of the most exciting hockey you’ve seen in years. What's Next - The Jackets are back home on Thursday to welcome in the Seattle Kraken [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/seattle-kraken/]. What do you think? Please share your thoughts on our forum. [https://thehockeynews.rtb.io/NHLCBJ/posts]
