Two points. That’s all that separated the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference playoff race. And then the Blue Jackets swept the Tampa Bay Lightning to advance to the second round, something that nobody expected.
The Lightning, and their 62 regular season wins, weren’t any ordinary top seed. But the Blue Jackets weren’t any ordinary eighth seed, either. After all, even Montreal’s 96 points tied the record for most successful non-playoff season in NHL history.
Going for it can be a sound strategy
Every team plays the long game, especially when they are on the playoff bubble.