Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason is used to facing challenges this season and started laughing even before a question about potential lineup changes could be completed.
“There’s a few, yeah, too many to talk about,” Evason said Tuesday, as the Blue Jackets got ready to face Buffalo without three more key players: star defenseman Zach Werenski (undisclosed), forward Kirill Marchenko (broken jaw), and defenseman Dante Fabbro (upper body). “So yeah, there’ll be some changes. But I’m not going to go over all of them.”
Missing two of their leading scorers, Werenski (57 points) and Marchenko (55 points), would worry most teams, but for Evason and the Blue Jackets, it’s nothing new.
“Yeah, what’s the matter, right?” Evason said. “We expect our team to handle it the same as they’ve handled it with calm and professionalism and work ethic.”
Though the Blue Jackets lost 3-2, the message remained clear.
“I think we’ve done a great job so far of maturing as a team, and just still a lot to learn,” veteran defenseman Ivan Provorov said. “Just kind of learn and move on.”
The Blue Jackets have had a tough season, starting with the deaths of Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew in August, followed by injuries to several key players, including captain Boone Jenner in October. Despite this, Columbus is now in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race.
“I’d be foolin’ if I thought we’d be at this point of the season with everything that transpired with our franchise,” general manager Don Waddell told. “I give the leadership group of our team so much credit for bringing this group together because it could’ve went one of two ways — and it’s gone the best it could.”
With a record of 26-20-7, the Blue Jackets entered Monday in the Eastern Conference’s eighth and final playoff spot, just one win away from matching last season’s total.
They’ve fought back from a rough 1-6-2 stretch to go 14-5-2, despite missing key players like Jenner, who has returned to practice, as well as forward Sean Monahan (wrist) and defenseman Erik Gudbranson (shoulder), both out until March.
On a team ranked eighth in the NHL with 173 goals and 27th with 175 goals allowed, the Blue Jackets’ success has relied on a hardworking mentality, with a mix of youth and veteran players.
“We know that there were low expectations for us,” said defenseman Jack Johnson, a 19-year NHL veteran now back for his second stint with Columbus. “So for better or worse, we’re playing with no pressure. We’re going out, we’re working hard. Everyone does their job and having some fun doing it.”
A big motivator for the team has been the memory of Gaudreau, who, along with his brother, was killed in a tragic accident in New Jersey when they were struck by a suspected drunken driver.
“I think it brought us closer together,” forward Adam Fantilli said.
Fantilli, the No. 3 pick in the 2023 draft, has been performing well, scoring eight goals and 15 points in his last 14 games. His improved play came as Monahan, who had been playing well, was sidelined by injury. Kent Johnson, the No. 5 pick in the 2021 draft, also scored his career-high matching 16th goal against Buffalo.
“We fought through games that people didn’t think we’d win,” defenseman Jordan Harris said. “We fought through injuries, obviously, Johnny and Matthew. It’s shown up time and time again that we’re able to push through that.”
While the Blue Jackets have a modest record of 10-4-7 in one-goal games, they’ve been strong recently, going 6-2 in their last eight. They’ve also shown resilience, going 23-3-6 when tied or leading after two periods.
“You’ve got to give them a lot of credit for getting themselves in the right place with what happened,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said of the Blue Jackets.
Evason stays focused on the present.
“We’re playing every game to try to win a hockey game, simple as that,” he said. “Every team’s dealt with adversity. Every team’s dealt with situations where they’ve got to overcome things.”
Despite the challenges, few teams have faced what Columbus has. Evason is reminded of this every time he wears the No. 13 patch on his jacket in honor of Gaudreau.
“They’ve pulled together. They’ve stuck together. They’ve been a team. They’ve supported each other through a very difficult situation,” Evason said. “I’m very proud of the way the guys have handled every situation.”
After the loss to Buffalo, Evason expressed confidence the Blue Jackets would bounce back, saying, “Our group’s not had a problem with that all year.”
