Blue Jackets Face Defending Champs After Tough Loss to Devils

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Blue Jackets will seek to break a four-game losing streak when they host the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers tonight at Nationwide Arena. Following a narrow 2-1 defeat to the New Jersey Devils on Monday, the Blue Jackets find themselves three points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.

Despite their struggles, Columbus has shown competitiveness in recent games, especially evident from their 46 shots on goal against the Devils. They were hampered by a stellar performance from New Jersey goalie Jake Allen, who recorded 45 saves. A resilient third period saw Columbus dominate offensively, attempting 50 shots compared to New Jersey’s seven.

Defenseman Ivan Provorov commented post-game, “Sometimes you deserve better and don’t win, and sometimes you don’t deserve to win and you win. I think today we deserved a lot better, but it’s part of our process, and we’re going to continue to move forward.”

With only 15 games left in the season, the urgency is palpable for Columbus. Their recent performance has prompted a reassessment of their gameplay. Forward Mathieu Olivier noted the need to shift focus, stating, “You just have to focus on the next one. You can’t start looking at the standings and start looking at all that extra stuff because then you start thinking more.”

Head coach Dean Evason praised his players’ commitment in the last game, despite the disappointing outcome. “We did the right things. We got a really crappy bounce on the second Devils goal, but yeah, we liked everybody. Everybody pushed. Everybody did the right things,” he said.

The Blue Jackets are facing a formidable opponent in the Panthers, who recently triumphed in the playoffs. The Panthers, coached by Paul Maurice, are led by star players such as Sam Reinhart, who has scored 33 goals this season, and Sergei Bobrovsky, boasting a GAA of 2.51. Columbus has struggled against Florida, failing to win any of their last seven encounters.

The Blue Jackets will be looking to build on their recent performance while hoping for a turnaround against the Panthers. Columbus has tied a franchise record with five players each scoring over 20 goals this season, and Zach Werenski leads all defensemen in goals and points.

Along with their recent acquisitions ahead of the trade deadline, the Panthers remain a tough matchup for Columbus. With playoff aspirations still within reach, the urgency to convert chances into wins will be crucial for the Blue Jackets in their playoff pursuit.