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Push for the Playoffs: Time is now for Blue Jackets

Pittsburgh Penguins v Columbus Blue Jackets

COLUMBUS, OH - FEBRUARY 26: Sergei Bobrovsky #72 of the Columbus Blue Jackets follows the puck during the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on February 26, 2019 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Pittsburgh defeated Columbus 5-2. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)

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Push for the Playoffs will run every morning through the end of the 2018-19 NHL season. We’ll highlight the current playoff picture in both conferences, take a look at what the first-round matchups might look like, see who’s leading the race for the best odds in the draft lottery and more.

The Columbus Blue Jackets aren’t playing like a team interested in making the Stanley Cup Playoffs next month.

In fact, they look like a rather sad bunch who’ve lost their way in a three-team battle for two spots in the postseason. A western road swing has been a disaster for the Blue Jackets, who dropped a 4-2 decision to the Calgary Flames before putting in a worse effort against the Edmonton Oilers, who beat them 4-1.

So Columbus, who spent big at the trade deadline, find themselves three points back of the Montreal Canadiens for the second and final wildcard in the Eastern Conference. Sure, they have a game in hand, but that, alone, won’t do it. If this team is going to avoid all the embarrassment that comes with being the biggest spenders at the end of February and having nothing to show for it, they need to essentially win out at this point.

That begins with a test against the Vancouver Canucks, a team that has nothing to play for other than pride and who were on a three-game heater before getting beat 3-1 by the Calgary Flames on Saturday.

Despite the three-point gap, the game in hand on Montreal and an uber-important matchup between themselves and the Habs this coming Thursday means Columbus still holds their destiny in their own hands. Columbus will be hoping the Carolina Hurricanes do them a solid and beat the Canadiens in regulation on Sunday.

That all might be a small consolation given the week that lays ahead. After Sunday’s game in Vancouver, they’ll fly across the continent home for two games on Tuesday and then again Thursday against Montreal. From there, they’ll head to Nashville on Saturday night and play back to back 22 hours later on Sunday against the Buffalo Sabres.

The fun times don’t end there, either.

They then head home for one game against Boston, get two days rest, and then finish the season with games against the New York Rangers on Friday and the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. Yes, a back-to-back to close out the regular season where they might need wins in both to make the playoffs.

It’s a brutal haul, and they have no choice but to find success or polish up the Taylor Mades.

The good news is Sergei Bobrovsky could play Sunday after a nagging injury has kept him out of action. They need his heroics, and they’ll need more from the rest of their lineup, too.

IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY

Lightning vs. Canadiens
Capitals vs. Hurricanes
Islanders vs. Penguins
Bruins vs. Maple Leafs

Flames vs. Avalanche
Jets vs. Stars
Sharks vs. Golden Knights
Predators vs. Blues

TODAY’S GAMES WITH PLAYOFF CONTENDERS

Flyers vs. Capitals (12:30 p.m. ET -- Watch Live on NBC)
Coyotes vs. Islanders (3 p.m. ET)
Canadiens vs. Hurricanes (7 p.m. ET)
Avalanche vs. Blackhawks (8 p.m. ET -- Watch Live on NBCSN)
Blue Jackets vs. Canucks (10 p.m. ET)

EASTERN CONFERENCE

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PLAYOFF PERCENTAGES (via Hockey Reference)

Lightning -- Clinched
Bruins -- Clinched
Maple Leafs -- 100 percent
Capitals -- 99.7 percent
Penguins -- 99.8 percent
Islanders -- 99.3 percent
Hurricanes -- 96 percent
Canadiens -- 62.1 percent
Blue Jackets -- 42.8 percent
Flyers -- 0.3 percent
Panthers -- Out
Sabres -- Eliminated
Rangers -- Eliminated
Devils -- Eliminated
Red Wings -- Eliminated
Senators -- Eliminated

WESTERN CONFERENCE

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PLAYOFF PERCENTAGES (via Hockey Reference)

Flames -- Clinched
Sharks -- Clinched
Jets -- Clinched
Predators -- 100 percent
Golden Knights -- 100 percent
Blues -- 100 percent
Stars -- 86 percent
Avalanche -- 59.2 percent
Coyotes -- 32.4 percent
Wild -- 19.1 percent
Blackhawks -- 1.8 percent
Oilers -- 0.9 percent
Canucks -- 0.6 percent
Ducks -- Out
Kings -- Eliminated

JACK OR KAAPO? THE DRAFT LOTTERY PICTURE

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Senators -- 18.5 percent*
Kings -- 13.5 percent
Red Wings -- 11.5 percent
Devils -- 9.5 percent
Ducks -- 8.5 percent
Rangers -- 7.5 percent
Sabres -- 6.5 percent
Canucks -- 6 percent
Oilers -- 5 percent
Blackhawks -- 3.5 percent
Wild -- 3 percent
Panthers -- 2.5 percent
Coyotes -- 2 percent
Flyers -- 1.5 percent
Blue Jackets -- 1 percent**

(*COL owns OTT’s 2019 first-round pick)
(**OTT owns CBJ’s 2019 first-round pick)

ART ROSS RACE

Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning -- 120 points
Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers -- 108 points
Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks -- 102 points
Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers -- 95 points
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins -- 93 points

ROCKET RICHARD RACE

Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals -- 48 goals
Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers -- 43 goals
John Tavares, Toronto Maple Leafs -- 41 goals
Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks -- 41 goals
Brayden Point, Tampa Bay Lightning -- 40 goals


Scott Billeck is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @scottbilleck