With the 4-Nations Face-Off Tournament coming to an end tonight between Canada and the USA, NHL teams are slowly ramping back up their practices ahead of the season resuming on Saturday, Feb. 22.
The Columbus Blue Jackets will be back in action on Saturday as they take on the Chicago Blackhawks. This will kick-start one of the hardest final stretches in the NHL.
The Blue Jackets currently sit just one point out of the second wild-card spot in the East and two points out of the first spot. They are in the thick of it, along with eight other teams.
The current wild card standings are as follows:
WC 1: Ottawa Senators – 62 Pts
WC 2: Detroit Red Wings – 61 Pts
3: Columbus Blue Jackets – 60 Pts
4: Boston Bruins – 60 Pts
5: New York Rangers – 58 Pts
6: New York Islanders – 57 Pts
7: Montreal Canadiens – 55 Pts
8: Pittsburgh Penguins – 55 Pts
9: Philadelphia Flyers – 55 Pts
The Blue Jackets’ next opponents are:
Feb 22: at Chicago Blackhawks
Feb 25: Home vs. Dallas Stars
Feb 27: at Detroit Red Wings
Mar 1: Home vs. Detroit Red Wings (Stadium Series)
Mar 4: at Tampa Bay Lightning
The next five games have huge playoff implications, as three of them are against teams in the playoff hunt.
The games against the Red Wings are crucial, but none is bigger than the game on March 1—the outdoor Stadium Series game.
The Blue Jackets may also have some reinforcements when they return to action. Their injury list is not only long but also filled with skill. Kirill Marchenko was seen skating with a full cage and could return to the lineup shortly after the break ends.
For now, we will all be cheering on our very own Zach Werenski as he looks to win the 4-Nations Face-Off Championship with Team USA.
Best of luck, Zach.
What do you think? Leave your thoughts below.
Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News and never miss a story.
