The Columbus Blue Jackets might not have the best streak of the 2013 season, but it’s likely the least expected.
The increasingly scrappy bunch held off a desperate Nashville Predators squad to win 4-3 on Tuesday, improving their point streak to 11 games (7-0-4).
That run suddenly thrusts the Blue Jackets into the thick of things. They’re now ranked 10th in the West with 30 points in 30 games played. The eight-place San Jose Sharks and ninth-place Phoenix Coyotes* have 30 points with less games played, but it’s impressive that the Blue Jackets are this close.
Tuesday’s game felt like a reversal of fortune in many ways. While Columbus keeps scrapping out points by a small margin of error, the Predators look hapless on an ugly four-game losing streak. Nashville is also 4-10-1 since Feb. 16, with its vaunted defense faltering dramatically in recent games.
We’ll see if these trends continue, but for one night, it looked like two teams on opposite paths.
* - Coyotes game in progress.