The Jackets are done losing.





As this article is written, the ever-humble Columbus Blue Jackets are 27-5-4, sit atop the NHL standings with games in hand, and are defending a potentially historic 16-game win streak. After weeks of laying waste to their competition with intimidating consistency, the fans, the league, and the media have started to take notice.





Jackets coach John Tortorella loves to preach his message of "one game at a time". The "Gospel of John" is full of adages like "the streak is just a number", " I lit a match to the tape [from that game] already ", and " we don't have any rivals ". In each of his interviews, he reminds the media that dreams of streaks, rivalries, and the playoffs are for the writers and the fans, and that he and his team are focused on the task at hand.





Good news for me, I'm not on his team, so here is my lofty prediction:

The Columbus Blue Jackets will win every game for the rest of the season.









Do I actually believe this will happen? Not really, no. There is far too much variance in the game of hockey for even a pro team playing in the NCAA to expect to win 62 games in a row. But the point I am trying to make is that I can't find any reasons why we will definitely lose any particular game on the remainder of the schedule.





This will still sound outlandish to most, but for those of little faith, what worries you?



- Worried about the other division leaders? We

- Worried about streaking teams? We just took the

- Worried that a middling team will "have our number"? We buckled down and beat Boston after naysayers were convinced they had us figured out.

Even when the Jackets have off-nights against teams like Arizona, they have the ability to - Worried about tough Metro opponents? We are 4-0 against the three next best division foes.- Worried about the other division leaders? We stomped the Habs , marched past the Hawks, and don't need to play the Sharks until next season (assuming the Central division takes care of them in the playoffs).- Worried about streaking teams? We just took the Wild's 12-game streak out behind the woodshed by controlling three periods of hockey - Worried that a middling team will "have our number"? We buckled down and beat Boston after naysayers were convinced they had us figured out.Even when the Jackets have off-nights against teams like Arizona, they have the ability to dig deep and find ways to win. They have already faced and weathered a seemingly complete battery of tests this season, and are still getting better.





This team is the real deal . The players have youthful energy, veteran poise, and the most boring coach in the league to keep them focused. They are well conditioned and healthy, and even if (when) skaters get injured down the stretch, we have the depth of the Calder Cup-winning Cleveland Monsters to fall back on. We roll four offensive lines, and all three of our defensive pairings inspire confidence at the blue line. 'Bob' is potentially the best goalie in the league, and he is backed up by a seasoned professional with an even better save percentage. This truly is a complete hockey team from top to bottom.









Do we lack "star power"? Yes, but this just shows how well our system is working. We aren't asking one player to carry the team alone, which means we don't run the risk of imploding if that player gets hurt. Is our PDO awfully high? Also yes, but that's because the Jackets turn possession into scoring chances that aren't always shots. Count how many pucks the league's #1 Power Play feeds through the crease on any given night and tell me our level of play is " unsustainable ".





In short, the Jackets continue to inspire an overwhelming amount of confidence by coping with a variety of challenges. They are doing everything right across each aspect of the game and it has already started to pay dividends. Does all this really mean this win streak will last until the playoffs? I don't see why not.



