Against all odds, the Columbus Blue Jackets remain alive in the Eastern Conference wild-card race. While they don't control their own destiny, there is still a chance we get to see playoff hockey in Ohio for the first time since the 2019-20 season.
Saturday afternoon's dominating 7-0 win over Washington put Columbus up to a 37-33-9 overall record, with 83 points through 79 games on the season. Later on Saturday night, they watched Montreal earn one point in a 1-0 overtime loss to Toronto, providing even less margin for error.
Now heading into Sunday's action, the Jackets sit five points behind the Habs (88 points), with one game in hand.
They will host the Washington Capitals in the second half of a home-and-home set with the number one seed in the East on Sunday at 6 p.m. EST at Nationwide Arena. Montreal is idle, so all focus will be on picking up a regulation win to fight another day.
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Whether they make the postseason or not, it's been a very positive season in Columbus.
Following the tragic death of superstar Johnny Gaudreau, the team has come together and surprised the hockey world by even being in the playoff mix this late in the season.
The core of Zach Werenski, Kirill Marchenko and Sean Monahan has carried the load. Meanwhile, young players like Adam Fantilli, Kent Johnson and Dmitri Voronkov have broken out to become major contributors.
The future looks bright, but they're all competitors and want to make the playoffs now, not hoping for the coming years. So, let's have a look at what the Columbus Blue Jackets need to have happen to make the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
What the Blue Jackets need to make the playoffs
#1. Win all three remaining games in regulation
Just to give themselves a chance, the Blue Jackets must win their last three games in regulation. That would require beating Washington at home on Sunday, winning on Tuesday night in Philadelphia, and another home victory on Thursday night against the NY Islanders.
Three regulation wins to close out the regular season would give Columbus 89 points and 30 regulation wins. That's their best possible outcome, though it very well might still not be enough to reach the postseason.
#2. Montreal earns a maximum of one out of four possible points
Now to the part that's out of the Jackets' hands. They will need Montreal to go 0-1-1 at best in their final two games of the season.
The Canadiens have four more points they could possibly earn, and the Blue Jackets can only afford to have them pick up one point to stay alive. The Habs host the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday night and then the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night.
One point would have Montreal finish with 89 points and 29 regulation wins, resulting in Columbus winning the tiebreaker with more regulation wins. Nothing comes easy at this point in the season, and the Blue Jackets hope these teams can play spoiler to help them out.
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