If it seems like ages have passed since Columbus last hosted Blue Jacket hockey, it actually has. The Jackets’ most recent home game was a 4-1 loss to New Jersey on January 19.
It will be almost three weeks to the day since that game by the time the team practices on the ice on Thursday.
On Saturday, the Jackets have one home game before returning to the road. On Tuesday, February 13, they will play the Senators in Ottawa. Right after, they will leave for a three-game road trip that will begin late at night.
After this Saturday, they won’t play at home again until February 23. Which means that this team will play just two games over the course of about one month (January 20–February 22).
This year’s two lengthy west coast road trips are divided by an All-Star break. You might be enjoying it if you needed a vacation from the Blue Jackets’ daily woes. Or perhaps you miss prime-time hockey, just like I do.
Regardless of perspective, this is a peculiar deviation from the NHL schedule. It brings back memories of this franchise’s early years, when they were confined to the Western Conference, for me.
It is understandable why this team failed to garner a sizable fan base in the early years considering that almost half of their games start after 8:00 eastern. Or maybe it’s because they were awful to some extent.
