The Columbus Blue Jackets are playing out of their minds right now, but maybe they’re just trying to fit in with their Metropolitan Division peers.
By beating the Edmonton Oilers 3-1 on Tuesday, Columbus improved its winning streak to seven consecutive games. Sergei Bobrovsky’s masterful performance pushes him to 17 wins, the best mark in the NHL.
Simply put, Bobrovsky and the Blue Jackets are closing opponents out.
#CBJ haven't surrendered a third-period goal in last six games.
— Tom Reed (@treed1919) December 14, 2016
You can stack great Blue Jackets for hours, really.
13 games over .500 for the first time in #CBJ history.@PNCBank Stat Cap 👇 pic.twitter.com/pGHkRTTp5p
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) December 14, 2016
This is a great story, yet it would be even bigger if ... well, almost every other team in the Metro wasn’t also doing amazing things. John Tortorella’s really on another level, and he’s also still entertaining us with moments like these (justifiable anger or not):
Funny. And probably a lot funnier for Columbus fans as the wins keep coming in.
Let’s take a look at where the Blue Jackets stand in the maddening Metro:
1. Penguins - 41 points in 29 games played, six straight wins
2. Rangers - 41 points in 31 GP, 6-4-0 in last 10
3. Blue Jackets - 40 points in 27 GP, seven straight wins
4. Capitals - 39 points in 28 GP, five straight wins
5. Flyers - 39 points in 31 GP, nine straight wins
That’s pretty nuts. Especially when you considering the notion that you really can’t take a night off against the Devils or Hurricanes (30 points apiece) and that the Islanders can still be dangerous at times, even if they’ve been a mess overall.
You could argue that Columbus is in the best position, right now, of all the Metro’s elite. Those games in hand look promising when you consider how often this team is grabbing both points.
Still, you could also make an argument for the four other teams vying for the Metro crown, so the Blue Jackets don’t really have time to sit back and bask in their unexpected accomplishments.
Not that Torts would tolerate such an outlook, mind you.
More: All hail the Metro