Blue Jackets eliminated

The Columbus Blue Jackets were knocked out of the Stanley Cup playoff race on April 13 when Philadelphia pushed Carolina past regulation. (dispatch.com) Columbus finished 40-30-12 for 92 points and missed the postseason for a sixth straight year, according to the National Hockey League’s elimination summary. (nhl.com) The Blue Jackets’ path had narrowed a day earlier after a loss to Boston, leaving them needing Philadelphia to lose its final two games in regulation and Columbus to beat Washington in its finale. (usatoday.com) That scenario ended Monday night when the Flyers got to overtime against the Hurricanes, which guaranteed Philadelphia at least one standings point under National Hockey League rules. Philadelphia then won 3-2 in a shootout. (espn.com) By April 15, all 16 playoff berths had been clinched even though some seeding was still unsettled before the regular season ended April 16. Columbus was out of that field, along with Washington in the Metropolitan Division chase. (usatoday.com) The miss landed hard in Columbus because the team had been in position much earlier. The Columbus Dispatch reported fans were reacting to an exit that came after the club carried roughly a 90 percent playoff chance weeks before elimination. (dispatch.com) The standings also produced a rare result around New York. The Rangers, Devils and Islanders all failed to qualify, leaving none of the three New York-area teams in the 2026 postseason field. (northjersey.com) For Columbus, the final math was simple by Monday night: once Philadelphia earned the point it needed, the Blue Jackets’ season shifted from scoreboard watching to another early start to the offseason. (nbc4i.com)