Previously: October, November, January
Programming Note: There were just seven games in February, so this March recap will includes the last three games of February.
Results
W 5-1 vs. CHI
W 6-4 vs. DAL
W 5-2 @ DET
W 5-3 vs. DET
L 2-6 @ TBL
L 0-3 @ FLA
W 7-3 @ NYR
L 3-5 @ NJD
L 0-4 vs. VGK
L 0-4 vs. NYR
L 1-2 vs. NJD
L 0-1 (OT) vs. FLA
L 3-6 @ PIT
W 4-3 (SO) @ NYI
W 7-6 (SO) vs. VAN
L 2-3 @ OTT
A 7-8-1 record since the 4 Nations Face-Off isn’t great, but it could be way worse. More concerning, however, is the 4 shutout losses (3 of them at home) and just one single regulation win since the victory over Detroit at Ohio Stadium on March 1. Regulation wins are the first tiebreaker and the Blue Jackets fall short of the other wild card contenders there:
Regulation Wins (through March 30)
New York Rangers 32
Ottawa Senators 30
Detroit Red Wings 26
Montreal Canadiens 25
New York Islanders 25
Columbus Blue Jackets 23
Standings
The Blue Jackets have 75 points and sit in sole possession of 10th place in the East, two points behind the Canadiens for the second wild card and the Rangers in 9th place. The good news is the Jackets have games in hand on the other wild card contenders. The Jackets have 10 games in which to make up ground, and 6 of those come at home. There are two games remaining against the Senators and one against the Islanders, which can be effectively a four point swing.
Stats
Note: “March 2025” includes stats from February 22 through March 30.
| Stat | March 2025 | January 2025 | December 2024 | November 2024 | October 2024 | 2023-24 |
| 5v5 CF% | 51.82 (9) | 42.97 (31) | 46.67 (29) | 53.03 (7) | 48.90 (20) | 47.45 (23) |
| 5v5 FF% | 52.43 (7) | 44.51 (30) | 46.11 (28) | 52.97 (6) | 50.17 (17) | 46.77 (25) |
| 5v5 Save % | 90.75 (18) | 92.24 (9) | 90.64 (19) | 87.96 (32) | 91.44 (14) | 91.17 (17) |
| 5v5 Shooting % | 10.39 (10) | 10.05 (8) | 9.47 (16) | 8.00 (21) | 14.21 (2) | 9.03 (11) |
| 5v5 xGF% | 53.73 (6) | 43.52 (29) | 44.60 (30) | 54.10 (6) | 48.63 (19) | 46.13 (27) |
| GPG | 3.00 (15) | 3.06 (11) | 3.00 (15) | 3.23 (9) | 3.89 (5) | 2.85 (24) |
| GAPG | 3.50 (25) | 2.72 (14) | 3.63 (27) | 4.08 (32) | 2.78 (6) | 3.63 (31) |
| PP% | 9.1 (32) | 20.0 (19) | 25.0 (8) | 20.0 (20) | 16.7 (21) | 15.1 (31) |
| PK% | 75.0 (20) | 76.3 (17) | 73.3 (26) | 72.5 (28) | 81.5 (10) | 76.3 (25) |
The advanced stats back up my perception from watching the games, that the Jackets are actually playing well but have run into some bad puck luck and poor sequencing. The effort can be inconsistent from game to game, or even period to period.
The special teams continue to be a major problem. There’s no excuse for the power play being this bad.
Three Stars
Third Star: Zach Werenski
Z was just second on the team in points this month, but he continues to be the best player on the team and is strengthening his case to win the Norris Trophy. This month he was also the team leader in 5v5 xGF% (62.62). In addition, he was the leading point scorer in the 4 Nations Face-off, with 6 assists in 4 games.
Second Star: Mathieu Olivier
In these 16 games, there is a three-way tie for the goals lead (7). As you would expect, Adam Fantilli and Kirill Marchenko are two of them. The other? Mathieu Olivier. The famed pugilist has put together a shockingly productive season on the offensive end. In his first 168 NHL games, Olivier had 13 goals. This season, through 72 games? 17 goals and counting. His 29 points are almost double his previous career high (15 in 2022-23, his first season as a Blue Jacket). He was also the top forward in 5v5 xGF (62.32%). His on-ice performance and his increased leadership role earned him a six year contract extension that begins next season.
First Star: Boone Jenner
The Captain had to wait until February 22 to make his season debut, and he has made it worth it. He is producing at nearly a point-per-game pace with 15 points (5/10) in 16 games. When Cole Sillinger was injured, Jenner was able to fill in as the second line center. With Sillinger and Sean Monahan back in the lineup, Jenner has gone back to wing on that line. He’s winning face-offs, forechecking, and scoring goals in the dirty areas. It’s been an important reminder that he’s still a very useful player (when healthy) and that he can fit Dean Evason’s system.
Needs Improvement
Ryan Murray Memorial Injury Report
We finally have good news to report! Jenner, Monahan, Erik Gudbranson, and Yegor Chinakhov all returned from lengthy injuries. Kirill Marchenko missed just 3 games after breaking his jaw. Kevin Labanc is out for the season with a shoulder injury and Dante Fabbro missed Saturday’s game with an undisclosed injury, but other than that all hands are available for this final stretch.
Trade deadline
The trade deadline was a dud, with the only acquisition being depth forward Luke Kunin. Don Waddell also picked up Christian Fischer off waivers from Detroit, but he has only appeared in one game so far. The price to acquire a more impactful player were just too high to justify giving up future assets for a rental. It also didn’t make sense to sell off pieces (like Ivan Provorov) when the team was still in the thick of the playoff race.
Playoff Race
While the Jackets coughed away their playoff position over the last month, it’s not like anyone else has done much better. Ottawa seems pretty secure in the top spot, but the second wild card is still very much up for grabs. For the sake of the postseason, hopefully some team gets hot and truly earns their berth, rather than falling backwards into it.