At 7-5-0 and sitting in fourth place in the Metro, the Columbus Blue Jackets are a team on the rise. How quickly they get to where they want to be largely depends on the team’s current road trip, which started Sunday against the New York Islanders. Columbus is set to play four games in Western Canada and Seattle. The Blue Jackets have had a difficult time with this part of the schedule in the past. So will it be different this go round?
While the Blue Jackets have found some footing during the first 12 games of the season, now comes November and more road games. This should not be an issue given the talent the Blue Jackets have. This road trip should provide some answers, such as whether the Blue Jackets are ready to join the Eastern Conference elite?
For the organization to take the next step, they need to block out the noise and just play hockey. Sounds simple enough, but it is not as easy as that. Dean Evason has said he feels good about the team, and the players have said the same thing. Now they get to prove it and silence both critics and home crowds. They are more than capable of doing.
This is a good early-season road trip and one that will show the true Blue Jackets, who appear to be a resilient group. The Blue Jackets PK is still a work in progress, but one that has looked better than it did to start the season. The team is waiting for Adam Fantilli, Kirill Narchenko, and Kent Johnson to heat up, and those players look like a breakthrough is close, which should help as well.
This road trip will be a good litmus test for the early part of the season.
