The Columbus Blue Jackets cemented themselves as the No. 1 team in the Metropolitan Division and in the NHL on Friday.
By winning their 12th game in a row with a 2-1 victory against the Montreal Canadiens, the Blue Jackets are more clearly seeing the benefits of their hot streak.
And, seriously, it’s been quite the run.
The @BlueJacketsNHL's 12-game win streak is tied for 3rd-longest since 2005-06, behind 2012-13 Penguins (15-0-0) & 2009-10 Capitals (14-0-0) pic.twitter.com/vju8XpAndR
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) December 24, 2016
Here’s how the Metro looks at the moment:
1. Blue Jackets - 50 points in 32 games played
2. Penguins - 49 points in 35 GP
3. Rangers - 47 points in 36 GP
4. Capitals - 44 points in 32 GP
5. Flyers - 44 points in 36 GP
Columbus also finds itself on top of the NHL with those 50 points. The Chicago Blackhawks can tie things up with a win tonight, yet even then, the Blue Jackets will hold two games in hand. So, yeah, they’re the best team in the league right now.
As far as Thursday’s game went, it was a tight game where a lot of usual suspects came up big.
Sergei Bobrovsky made 36 out of 37 stops against the Canadiens, winning back-to-back games after allowing just a single goal in each contest. The scorers were also guys who have been generating points consistently for Columbus; Sam Gagner scored his 14th goal of 2016-17 while Brandon Saad nabbed his 13th. Nick Foligno generated two assists.
That’s the sort of work that the Blue Jackets are, dare we say, starting to expect from these guys. Even if it’s still a little shocking to see the wins keep pouring in.