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In case you haven’t noticed, the Blue Jackets are right back in the playoff race

Columbus Blue Jackets v Dallas Stars

Columbus Blue Jackets v Dallas Stars

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At the end of November, the Columbus Blue Jackets were 6-15-2, dead last in the NHL and 13 points back of a playoff spot.

With last night’s win in Dallas, they’ve improved to 18-17-3, six points back of a playoff spot, plus they have two games in hand on the current holder of the second wild-card spot, Toronto.

So yeah, bit of a turnaround.

“We’re proud of that, but we’re not done,” winger Nick Foligno told the Columbus Dispatch. “We’ve obviously got a long ways to go, but the way we played tonight, it was just a solid game.”

True, the Jackets have enjoyed some good fortune since their 12-2-1 run started in December. Four times they’ve won in a shootout, including once in Florida where they were outshot 55-20 and another time in Chicago where they were outshot 41-19.

Then again, Columbus shouldn’t have to apologize for having a capable goalie in Sergei Bobrovsky, who’s stopped all but four of the 26 shootout attempts he’s faced and was named the NHL’s third star for the month of December.

And really, if ever there was a team that deserved some good fortune, it’s the Jackets, whose injury situation this season has bordered on lunacy.

Columbus plays Friday in Toronto, before returning home for three games against the Islanders, Canadiens and Rangers.