Blue Jackets Look to Continue Playoff Push at Vegas
The Columbus Blue Jackets are making a serious push for their first playoff appearance since 2019-20, and their journey continues with a key four-game road trip, starting against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night.
Blue Jackets Gaining Momentum Despite Road Struggles
Columbus enters the matchup tied for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot, competing with nine teams separated by just five points (51-56 points).
While the Blue Jackets have struggled on the road (7-14-4, worst in the East), they are currently on a 7-2-1 stretch, showing they are capable of making a run.
They last played on Saturday, securing a 3-2 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Kings.
- Zach Werenski extended his home point streak to 19 games with a goal.
- Kirill Marchenko netted the OT game-winner.
- Elvis Merzlikins stopped 31 of 33 shots, improving to 6-1 in his past seven starts.
“We have one goal in mind right now, and that’s to get into the playoffs,” said defenseman Dante Fabbro, who also scored in the win.
Merzlikins echoed the sentiment, saying, “All of us, we really want to get in the playoffs. I have really good faith and belief that we can really make it this year.”
Golden Knights Struggling to Find Consistency
Vegas, on the other hand, has hit a rough patch, going 2-4-2 in its last eight games, including a 4-3 overtime loss to Dallas on Tuesday.
Despite having one of the best home records in the NHL (19-6-2), the Golden Knights have won just two of their last six home games (2-2-2).
Tuesday’s loss was particularly frustrating, as Vegas blew a 3-1 lead, allowing Dallas’ Wyatt Johnston to score a natural hat trick, including the game-winner just 20 seconds into OT.
“We’ve been struggling for a while now,” forward Ivan Barbashev admitted. “There’s been some good stretches and some bad stretches … I think we just have to give it our all.”

Vegas Faces Tough Schedule Ahead
The Golden Knights begin a five-game road trip after Thursday’s game, visiting:
They won’t return home until Feb. 22 to face the Vancouver Canucks.
Playoff Race Heating Up
With Columbus fighting for a wild-card spot and Vegas trying to stay among the top teams in the West, this game holds significant playoff implications.
- Will the Blue Jackets continue their surge?
- Can Vegas regain its form before a tough road stretch?
The pressure is mounting, and Thursday’s matchup could be a turning point for both teams.