Columbus officially out
The Columbus Blue Jackets were officially eliminated from playoff contention after the Flyers pushed the Hurricanes into overtime, closing the Jackets’ remaining path to the postseason. (dispatch.com). That elimination came on a day when the league confirmed the full 16‑team playoff field was in place. (cbssports.com).
Columbus was knocked out of the National Hockey League playoff race on Monday night, when Philadelphia’s game against Carolina reached overtime. (nhl.com) The Blue Jackets finished 40-29-12 and missed the postseason for a sixth straight season. Philadelphia’s 3-2 shootout win over the Hurricanes gave the Flyers the point they needed and ended Columbus’ last mathematical path in. (nhl.com) That same result also helped lock the full 16-team Stanley Cup field into place with a few days left in the regular season. CBS Sports reported that Philadelphia clinched its first playoff berth in six years, setting up a first-round series with Pittsburgh. (cbssports.com) Columbus had been in far better shape three weeks earlier. National Hockey League.com said the Blue Jackets went 7-1-3 from March 5 through March 25, outscoring opponents 38-26 and climbing to second in the Metropolitan Division. (nhl.com) The push unraveled at the end. Columbus then went 2-7-1 over its next 10 games, was outscored 33-20, and fell out of playoff position before the Flyers closed the door. (nhl.com) Injuries hit during that slide. Defenseman Damon Severson underwent shoulder surgery on April 3 and was ruled out for the rest of the season after posting 32 points and a plus-18 rating in 71 games. (nhl.com) The Blue Jackets still got top-end production from core players. Zach Werenski finished with 22 goals and 80 points, and Adam Fantilli had 24 goals and 59 points in 81 games. (espn.com) (nhl.com) The standings showed how narrow the margin was. Columbus ended on 92 points, while Philadelphia held the third Metropolitan Division spot at 98 and Pittsburgh sat second at 98. (cbssports.com) (espn.com) So the Blue Jackets’ season now ends where it did not look headed in late March: outside the bracket again, with the spring surge erased by a short collapse in April. (nhl.com)
