Blue Jackets' 2015-2016 Schedule Released
After announcing the home opener yesterday, the full docket has been published.
After teasing us yesterday with the home opener schedule, the NHL finally released the full schedule today. Let's take a look, and then do some breakdowns! My first reaction is that it is a very, VERY nice schedule!
| DATE | VISITOR | HOME | TIME (ET) |
| FRI OCT 9, 2015 | RANGERS | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| SAT OCT 10, 2015 | BLUE JACKETS | RANGERS | 7:00 PM |
| MON OCT 12, 2015 | BLUE JACKETS | SABRES | 3:00 PM |
| WED OCT 14, 2015 | SENATORS | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| FRI OCT 16, 2015 | MAPLE LEAFS | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| SAT OCT 17, 2015 | BLUE JACKETS | BLACKHAWKS | 8:30 PM |
| TUE OCT 20, 2015 | ISLANDERS | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| THU OCT 22, 2015 | BLUE JACKETS | WILD | 8:00 PM |
| SAT OCT 24, 2015 | BLUE JACKETS | AVALANCHE | 9:00 PM |
| TUE OCT 27, 2015 | BLUE JACKETS | DEVILS | 7:00 PM |
| FRI OCT 30, 2015 | BLUE JACKETS | CAPITALS | 7:00 PM |
| SAT OCT 31, 2015 | JETS | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| TUE NOV 3, 2015 | BLUE JACKETS | SHARKS | 10:30 PM |
| THU NOV 5, 2015 | BLUE JACKETS | KINGS | 10:30 PM |
| FRI NOV 6, 2015 | BLUE JACKETS | DUCKS | 10:00 PM |
| TUE NOV 10, 2015 | CANUCKS | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| FRI NOV 13, 2015 | BLUE JACKETS | PENGUINS | 7:00 PM |
| SAT NOV 14, 2015 | COYOTES | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| TUE NOV 17, 2015 | BLUES | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| THU NOV 19, 2015 | BLUE JACKETS | SENATORS | 7:30 PM |
| FRI NOV 20, 2015 | PREDATORS | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| SUN NOV 22, 2015 | SHARKS | BLUE JACKETS | 5:00 PM |
| WED NOV 25, 2015 | BLUE JACKETS | DEVILS | 7:00 PM |
| FRI NOV 27, 2015 | PENGUINS | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| SAT NOV 28, 2015 | BLUE JACKETS | BLUES | 8:00 PM |
| TUE DEC 1, 2015 | BLUE JACKETS | CANADIENS | 7:30 PM |
| FRI DEC 4, 2015 | PANTHERS | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| SAT DEC 5, 2015 | BLUE JACKETS | FLYERS | 7:30 PM |
| TUE DEC 8, 2015 | KINGS | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| THU DEC 10, 2015 | BLUE JACKETS | JETS | 8:00 PM |
| SAT DEC 12, 2015 | ISLANDERS | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| MON DEC 14, 2015 | LIGHTNING | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| TUE DEC 15, 2015 | BLUE JACKETS | STARS | 8:30 PM |
| THU DEC 17, 2015 | BLUE JACKETS | COYOTES | 9:00 PM |
| SAT DEC 19, 2015 | FLYERS | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| MON DEC 21, 2015 | BLUE JACKETS | PENGUINS | 7:00 PM |
| SAT DEC 26, 2015 | BLUE JACKETS | LIGHTNING | 7:00 PM |
| SUN DEC 27, 2015 | BLUE JACKETS | PANTHERS | 6:00 PM |
| TUE DEC 29, 2015 | STARS | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| SAT JAN 2, 2016 | CAPITALS | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| TUE JAN 5, 2016 | WILD | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| FRI JAN 8, 2016 | BLUE JACKETS | HURRICANES | 7:00 PM |
| SAT JAN 9, 2016 | HURRICANES | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| TUE JAN 12, 2016 | BLUE JACKETS | ISLANDERS | 7:00 PM |
| WED JAN 13, 2016 | BLUE JACKETS | MAPLE LEAFS | 7:00 PM |
| SAT JAN 16, 2016 | AVALANCHE | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| TUE JAN 19, 2016 | CAPITALS | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| THU JAN 21, 2016 | FLAMES | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| SAT JAN 23, 2016 | BLUE JACKETS | BRUINS | 7:00 PM |
| MON JAN 25, 2016 | CANADIENS | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| TUE JAN 26, 2016 | BLUE JACKETS | CANADIENS | 7:30 PM |
| TUE FEB 2, 2016 | BLUE JACKETS | OILERS | 9:00 PM |
| THU FEB 4, 2016 | BLUE JACKETS | CANUCKS | 10:00 PM |
| FRI FEB 5, 2016 | BLUE JACKETS | FLAMES | 9:00 PM |
| TUE FEB 9, 2016 | ISLANDERS | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| THU FEB 11, 2016 | DUCKS | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| SAT FEB 13, 2016 | SENATORS | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| TUE FEB 16, 2016 | BRUINS | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| FRI FEB 19, 2016 | SABRES | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| MON FEB 22, 2016 | BLUE JACKETS | BRUINS | 7:00 PM |
| TUE FEB 23, 2016 | BLUE JACKETS | RED WINGS | 7:30 PM |
| THU FEB 25, 2016 | DEVILS | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| SAT FEB 27, 2016 | PANTHERS | BLUE JACKETS | 3:00 PM |
| MON FEB 29, 2016 | BLUE JACKETS | RANGERS | 7:00 PM |
| FRI MAR 4, 2016 | OILERS | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| SAT MAR 5, 2016 | BLUE JACKETS | FLYERS | 7:00 PM |
| TUE MAR 8, 2016 | RED WINGS | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| FRI MAR 11, 2016 | PENGUINS | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| SUN MAR 13, 2016 | LIGHTNING | BLUE JACKETS | 3:00 PM |
| THU MAR 17, 2016 | RED WINGS | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| SAT MAR 19, 2016 | DEVILS | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| SUN MAR 20, 2016 | BLUE JACKETS | DEVILS | 5:00 PM |
| TUE MAR 22, 2016 | FLYERS | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| THU MAR 24, 2016 | HURRICANES | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| SAT MAR 26, 2016 | BLUE JACKETS | PREDATORS | 8:00 PM |
| MON MAR 28, 2016 | BLUE JACKETS | CAPITALS | 7:00 PM |
| THU MAR 31, 2016 | BLUE JACKETS | ISLANDERS | 7:00 PM |
| SAT APR 2, 2016 | BLUE JACKETS | HURRICANES | 7:00 PM |
| MON APR 4, 2016 | RANGERS | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| WED APR 6, 2016 | BLUE JACKETS | MAPLE LEAFS | 7:00 PM |
| FRI APR 8, 2016 | BLUE JACKETS | SABRES | 7:00 PM |
| SAT APR 9, 2016 | BLACKHAWKS | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
There you go. First thoughts?
- First, the bad. By my count, 18 back-to-backs. What else is new? All involve travel, but by my count, only three involve a time zone change, and all three are from Eastern to Central. St. Louis, Dallas, and Chicago are the three I noticed, none of which is brutal.
- The Jackets can't afford a slow start, but late October into early November is going to be brutal if for no other reason than travel and number of games. After starting the season with four of seven at home--and no real long travel for the three roadies--they embark on a stretch that will take them all over the map: west to Minnesota and Colorado, all the way back east for New Jersey and Washington, back home for one game, and then all the way out west for a California swing. Oh yeah, and there are FOUR back-to-backs in that stretch.
- Now, onto the good! One silver lining from that last bullet: the NHL finally heard my complaints, and put the California back-to-back games AGAINST BOTH THE LA TEAMS. Hallelujah!
- I like how it finishes. If the Jackets are pushing to make the playoffs, the finish doesn't appear to be back-breaking, other than the Cup champs on the final day of the season.
- It's going to be tough early, but I believe it's good to get that kind of brutal stretch out of the way early in the season, when legs are fresher and the team isn't worn down. Also, when you look at how the season finishes, the Jackets will have done a lot of their heavy lifting before the All Star Break.
- Speaking of, the back-to-backs are actually pretty front-loaded. Of the 18 I count, 13 come before the All Star Break. That means that the schedule isn't all that punishing in terms of being condensed with travel after the break. And, read on for the best post-Break part!
- In addition to finally getting the California trip right, the NHL schedule mavens have done the Jackets another HUGE favor: their Western Canada swing comes immediately after the All Star Break, meaning the team gets a FULL WEEK OFF between games before heading out West. This is a total coup.
- The best time to make hay? The Jackets have a stretch right after the All Star Break and the Western Canada swing where, between February 9th and March 24th they play 15 of 20 games at home, including TWO five-game home stands. Given where this falls in the season--when teams are starting to make their final pushes--having this much time at home is simply amazing!/
All in all, I like this schedule. The Jackets still get crunched with back-to-backs, but some of the biggest gripes I've always had have been mitigated. The stretch right after the All Star Break is super manageable from a logistical point of view, and the Jackets will get plenty of rest in February and March given the dearth of travel on their schedule.
I like it. What do you all think?