As they prepare to face the Senators, the Blue Jackets are having a hard time getting to Ottawa due to flight delays.
The Ottawa Senators begin a four-game homestand on Monday night (7pm, TSN5, RDSI) as they host the Columbus Blue Jackets at Canadian Tire Centre.
The Blue Jackets are at a disadvantage in this one, and not because they sit last in the Eastern Conference. While Columbus may be in the basement, they’re still only three points back of the Senators and four points out of a playoff spot, a reminder of just how tightly packed the conference remains, with every team's record above the .500 mark.
No, the Jackets' disadvantage falls in the area of what we'll describe as the three Rs: rest, recovery, and routine.
While Ottawa had Sunday off following a 7–5 loss in Toronto on Saturday night, Columbus was in action against the New York Islanders. It was a feisty, emotional game where Columbus scored three late goals and won 4-2.
So the Blue Jackets are in a back-to-back situation, which every team deals with over the course of the season. But this back-to-back has come with a side order of major travel issues.
According to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, Columbus’s scheduled flight to Ottawa on Sunday night was cancelled due to mechanical issues. The team was scheduled to leave Monday morning at 10, but now that flight has been delayed as well.*
As a result, the Blue Jackets now won't leave Columbus until early Monday afternoon. Then they're scheduled to arrive in a city that's just had several hours of freezing rain that will turn to wind and snow throughout the day. Postmedia says the league is keeping an eye on the situation.
Not exactly ideal circumstances to prepare for an important NHL game.
Chalk it up to a bad case of the Mondays.
*This article was updated to reflect the Blue Jackets' evolving travel circumstances.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa