Expectations were low for the Columbus Blue Jackets since entering the offseason last summer. The Blue Jackets finished in last place in the Metropolitan Division last season, so there was reason to believe this would be another long year in Columbus.
That has not been the case. The Blue Jackets have hovered around the playoff picture for much of the year, and enter a crucial matchup on Monday against a New York Islanders team in competition with just four points back of a playoff spot. A win, especially in regulation, would go a long way.
The Blue Jackets got good news on that front, as Sean Monahan, their first-line center, is set to return for Monday's contest. This is a break that the Blue Jackets needed to get.
Blue Jackets get Sean Monahan back for biggest game of their season
Monahan has been sidelined since early January with a wrist injury. Prior to the injury, he was playing some of the best hockey of his career, which was exciting to see after he signed a fairly hefty contract to join Columbus last offseason.
In the 41 games he's appeared in, Monahan has 14 goals and 27 assists, totaling 41 points on an average of 19:27 of ice time per game. Monahan has always been a solid player, but has just one point-per-game season under his belt, and that came in the 2018-19 season. He had 59 points in 83 games last season. This kind of production was not expected, and is a big reason why the Blue Jackets have had the season that they've had.
This return could not have come at a more perfect time. Not only is the team in the midst of a playoff race, but the goals have really dried up for Columbus lately. They've scored a grand total of four goals over their last five games. Three of those goals came in their most recent loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. They've unsurprisingly lost all five of those games, and have just one point in that stretch.
Getting one of their best forwards back should provide a massive spark. Monahan will likely center a line consisting of the team's leading scorer Kirill Marchenko and Dmitri Voronkov. Hopefully, they can find a way to get on the board enough to earn a win against elite goaltender Ilya Sorokin.