The good news over the weekend is that the Blue Jackets earned three of four points in two games vs. Dallas, the kind of pace they might just have to keep up going forward to pull themselves back into the playoff race.
The bad news -- because both games went to overtime, with the teams splitting extra-time decisions, Dallas also earned three of four points.
That's the calculus this year, a season in which every game is a four-point game because of the divisional-play only schedule this campaign. Every win is huge and every loss is too, because you're either taking or giving points to a team you're locked in a standings battle with.
So for Columbus and Dallas, two teams that have had rough starts after high hopes, the weekend was good, but it could have been better.
"They're in the same boat as we are - fighting for a playoff spot, right on the cusp there, so every point is crucial," Zach Werenski said after the series. "It's weird, you get three out of four points, but they also get three out of four and we kind of stay the same. It's different this year with how everything shakes out. Usually you can lose in OT or a shootout to a team on the west coast and one point is great because you're not really going up against those guys in terms of playoffs.
"It's definitely different this year, but we'll take three of four."
Another note about overtime losses -- as frustrating as they have been this year, those seven points in the seven extra-time setbacks are keeping the Blue Jackets in the race. While the Jackets have won just 11 of their first 30 games, they have points in 18 of 30, putting Columbus in sixth place in the Central Division in points percentage at .483.
Dallas is just ahead at .500, while Chicago is at .550 after Monday night's loss in Florida. Both the Blue Jackets and Chicago have played the same amount of games, with the Blackhawks, who are currently in the fourth and final postseason spot, four points ahead of the CBJ. That's just a two-game hole Columbus has to make up, something that is certainly doable. (Dallas, meanwhile, is five points back of Columbus with six games in hand, so they are just as in the mix as well).
Meanwhile, a quirk of how things have gone thus far is that the three of the four best teams in the NHL in terms of point percentage are all in the Central as of Monday night. Carolina (20-6-1) has raced out to a great start and leads the NHL at .759, with the surprising Panthers (19-5-4) right behind at .750, tied with Vegas. Defending Stanley Cup champ Tampa Bay (19-6-2) is also right there at .741.
If you're looking for some good or bad news, depending on your perspective, for the Blue Jackets, it's this -- 10 of the next 12 games (not to mention 14 of the next 20) are against Carolina, Florida and Tampa Bay. It's a grueling schedule to be sure, but it also does allow Columbus the chance to make big strides in the division if they can go on a run.
It will be easier said than done, of course. As head coach John Tortorella said before this weekend's games, the Blue Jackets are in a jam standings-wise and they know it. But with 26 games to go, they still have the chance to make their own destiny, and we'll likely know soon what the ultimate fate of this team is going to be.
