5 reasons why Columbus Blue Jackets will win Stanley Cup
The Columbus Blue Jackets have what it takes to shock the world and win the Stanley Cup.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs are upon us. Every year, there seems to be a team that takes everyone by surprise. For example, last season, the Ottawa Senators were that team. This season, with a wide-open Eastern Conference, any number of teams could surprise. But the Columbus Blue Jackets have the best chance of doing so.
Every team in the East is flawed. Yes, even the Blue Jackets. But this gives Columbus a plausible path to the Stanley Cup Final. And once you get there, anything can happen. The Blue Jackets certainly haven’t paved an easy path for themselves. There’s going to be some rocky terrain. A ton of hills. But the Blue Jackets have what it takes to bring the Stanley Cup to Ohio.
Last season, you could have said the same thing about Columbus. But last year’s team peaked way too soon. This year’s team is peaking at the right time. Just like 2016-17, the 2017-18 Blue Jackets put together an impressive winning streak. But this time, it was in March. That’s when you need to be playing your best hockey.
Until the last day of the regular season, the Blue Jackets didn’t lose consecutive games in over a month. And to be fair, Columbus rested several stars against the Nashville Predators in their last game.
The Blue Jackets have never won a postseason series. But this is the year that changes. Like the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Blue Jackets’ days of first-round exits are over. Here’s why.
5. Overcoming Adversity
Show me a champion, and I’ll show you a team that overcame adversity. Every single team deals with issues. Some teams have much larger issues than others. But what separates the good teams from the best teams is their resilience. Their ability to overcome any obstacle in their way.
Last season, the Blue Jackets were on top of the world after a nearly historic winning streak. But because they weren’t able to deal with the adversity that came after it, they lost in the first round to the Penguins.
This year, the Blue Jackets are much more prepared. They had to deal with an offense that couldn’t score for most of the first-half. Now the Blue Jackets have finally been getting the goals they need.
Columbus has also faced a number of injuries, especially to their blue line. But their young guys were able to hang in there until the Blue Jackets were able to get some reinforcements and their teammates got healthy.
Even head coach John Tortorella has overcome it. He’s had to deal with adversity before and he’s usually not a patient man when he faces it. However, the usually angry, emotional Tortorella has been more like a Zen master.
He could have panicked and thrown tantrums when his team couldn’t buy a goal. But Tortorella didn’t. He kept guys focused on sticking to the gameplan. Now the Blue Jackets are reaping their rewards.
Getting out of the first-round will be a significant obstacle for Columbus. But unlike the Blue Jackets of the past, this team appears ready to take on the challenge head on.