The pilot light is out again.
A Blue Jackets team that’s close to setting a franchise record for goals in a season has gone stone cold for the second time in a span of about three weeks, all but sinking their hopes of earning a playoff spot in the NHL’s Eastern Conference.
After a 5-0 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday at Scotiabank Arena, the Jackets followed that gut punch with a 4-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Sunday at Canadian Tire Centre, sending them home without scoring a goal since captain Boone Jenner put them up 3-2 at 7:56 of the second period in a 7-3 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday at Nationwide Arena.
That’s a season-long drought of 152:04 that topped a 129:31 span without a goal March 11-15 in losses to the New Jersey Devils, Vegas Golden Knights and New York Rangers – the last two in consecutive shutouts.
“(Ottawa) started really well,” Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason said. “We did not. Did we get to our game? Did we have some (scoring) chances, even early? Yeah, but just, clearly, we’re not scoring goals. So, it just gets magnified when we (trail), because you’re pressing even harder. And when you’re not having success and you’re not scoring goals, and you’re pressing ... it’s not a good recipe.”
Here are three takeaways from the loss to Ottawa:
