In the early days of Rick Bowness’ tenure last month, the head coach often used a familiar phrase when talking about the performance of his team.
“We have to fix that,” Bowness would say about a particular area of the Blue Jackets’ game he didn’t like. “And we will.”
Eleven games into his reign as the Jackets’ head coach, Bowness has largely been correct. The Blue Jackets have won 10 of those contests (nine in regulation), going from a tie for last place in the Eastern Conference to a tie for ninth, just four points out of a playoff spot at the Olympic break.
So how have the Blue Jackets done it? For starters, they are tied for second in the NHL in goals allowed per game (2.18) and second in goal differential (plus-19) since Bowness' first game Jan. 13, which pairs nicely with an offense that is tied for fifth in the league with 3.91 goals per game. Add in solid special teams (a combined power-play and penalty-kill percentage of 105.3) as well as the ability to close out leads, and the Blue Jackets have found a winning formula under their new head coach.
Here’s a look at seven more stats that help explain how the Blue Jackets have become the hottest team in the NHL.
The team defense has improved dramatically.
1. Bowness made a key part of his coaching philosophy clear on day one.
“This isn’t the ‘80s, man,” he said at his introductory press conference. “You don’t score your way into the playoffs. You defend your way into the playoffs.”
As you might expect, the coach that has spent more games behind an NHL bench than any other is correct. A season ago, 15 of the top 16 teams in the league in team defense qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs – and the other, Calgary, missed by a tiebreaker.
When the Blue Jackets made the coaching change, the defensive numbers weren’t pretty. Columbus was allowing 3.38 goals per game at that time, placing 28th in the league, and the advanced numbers weren’t much better – per Natural Stat Trick, the Blue Jackets were 24th of 32 teams in expected goals allowed per 60 minutes (2.77) and 15th in high-danger chances allowed per 60 (11.34) at 5-on-5.
But since Bowness came in with a defense-first focus, those numbers all have improved. As we already noted, the Blue Jackets are tied for second in the NHL in goals allowed per game, and the advanced numbers are better too, with Columbus fifth in the league in xGA/60 (2.37) and first in HDCA/60 (9.35).
It’s a simple concept – if you don’t let opposing teams get shots from the most dangerous areas on the ice, you’re probably not going to allow as many goals.
“I love seeing those goals against come down,” Bowness said.
Especially when ...
2. Bowness has leaned into both CBJ goaltenders, and both Jet Greaves and Elvis Merzlikins have delivered.
A separation had formed in the playing time among the CBJ netminders during December and early January, with Greaves establishing himself as the starter. But since Bowness has taken over, both have played six games and delivered impressive results.
Merzlikins has made six starts in that span and posted a 5-1-0 record, 2.03 GAA and .925 save percentage, capping the first half Tuesday at New Jersey with his first shutout since October 2024. Greaves, meanwhile, has two blankings in five starts, going 5-0-0 with a 2.12 GAA and .924 save percentage.
It’s a bit reminiscent of the early season when the goalies rotated starts and were playing well, and with 17 games upcoming in March, the head coach said he plans to keep playing time split between the two netminders.
“We have a lot of back-to-backs coming back,” Bowness said. “We’re gonna need both goalies, and both have been outstanding since I’ve been here. They give us a chance every night.”
3. The Blue Jackets have made it easier on themselves by playing from ahead.
There are comebacks aplenty in the NHL these days, but it’s still a lot simpler to win games when you score the first goal. And in nine of Bowness’ 11 games in charge, Columbus has opened the scoring and played from ahead.
That has translated to the rest of the game, as well, as the Blue Jackets have trailed in just three contests in Bowness’ tenure. Overall, in the 665 minutes of game play since he took over, Columbus has led for 402:39 and trailed for just 64:14.
Those impressive numbers have moved the Blue Jackets to fifth in the NHL on the season in time spent leading.
“It’s huge,” Charlie Coyle said. “You always want to play with the lead.”
4. Columbus has eight of its 12 empty-net goals on the season in the last 11 games, a sign of its ability to finish off games.
Incredibly, this stat might be the story of the season. It’s no secret the Blue Jackets struggled keeping third-period leads in the first half of the campaign, and one reason why was the inability to ice games with the opposing net empty. The Blue Jackets allowed four teams to tie the game with the goalie pulled in the opening 45 contests while notching just four tallies into an empty net, a 50 percent success rate in those pivotal situations.
But in the Bowness era, the Blue Jackets have won every game in which they’ve had a third-period lead, turning those early advantages into two points. Pittsburgh did tie a game with its net empty Jan. 17, but the Blue Jackets went on to win in a shootout, and Columbus has scored into an opposing team’s empty net in seven contests.
As the games get tighter down the stretch, being able to win in the final minutes will be key, and Bowness has had the team practice 6-on-5 situations.
“Getting to this time of year, it’s gonna be a lot of close games,” Bowness said. “You have to know how to handle those situations, so you have to go over them.”
In all, the team’s goal differential of plus-7 in the third period has pulled the Blue Jackets out of the NHL’s basement in that stat.
5. It’s also been a full team effort on the scoreboard during the 11-game stretch.
Ivan Provorov’s goal in Wednesday’s victory over Chicago made him the 19th different Blue Jacket to score since Bowness took over, a mark that leads the league. Only Ottawa (18) and Pittsburgh (17) are within two of the Blue Jackets.
After his hat trick in Chicago last Friday, Charlie Coyle noted there’s been a different hero each night, and that’s proven true. Coyle and Mason Marchment each have hat tricks, while Coyle and Mathieu Olivier have pitched in two-goal contests as well. Even playing spot duty, Danton Heinen has a pair of goals, including one Wednesday night while skating on the top line with Marchment and Adam Fantilli.
6. Coyle has turned into one of the NHL’s most effective two-way players in this span, as well.
The 14-year NHL veteran has long been one of the most consistent players in the league, but he’s performed like an elite player over the past few weeks.
Coyle has posted eight goals and 16 points in the last 11 contests, tying for sixth in goals and 11th in points in the league since Jan. 13. He has five multipoint games in that span while also centering the team’s top defensive line that often draws the assignment of shadowing the opposition’s best scorers.
And if you’re looking for a play that summarizes Coyle’s game, there have been dazzling passes and netfront wizardry, but look no further his diving effort on Olivier’s awarded empty-net goal to cap off Tuesday’s win at New Jersey. With Columbus holding a 2-0 lead but four minutes left for the Devils to get back into it, Coyle left his feet to knock the puck out of the defensive zone, allowing Olivier to use his speed to ice the game.
7. The team’s hot streak stands strongly in team history.
Columbus has won seven games in a row going into the break, marking the first time since a 10-game win streak from March 4-22, 2018, that the Blue Jackets have accomplished that feat. It’s also just the sixth winning streak of at least seven games in team history.
When it comes to winning 11 out of the last 12 games (including the last of the Dean Evason era), it’s just the fourth time in CBJ history that’s happened – Columbus won 12 of 13 from March 4-28, 2018; 16 in a row from Nov. 29, 2016 to Jan. 3, 2017; and 12 of 13 in two separate stretches to close the 2014-15 season.
So enjoy it while it lasts, Blue Jackets fans – runs like this don’t come around very often.
