Blue Jackets’ October Struggles Expose Scoring and Special Teams Problems

The Columbus Blue Jackets have a clear problem to solve as November begins: they aren't creating enough offense, controlling enough play or getting the special teams production that could compensate for either shortcoming. Injuries on defense complicated the opening stretch, but the numbers point to a broader issue with the team's performance.

Columbus closed October at 5-7-0 with 10 points, a .417 points percentage and just one regulation win. That win total was tied for the fewest in the NHL. The Jackets sat last in the Eastern Conference, although their 12 games played were fewer than any other team's at that point. The standings offered some room for perspective; the underlying performance offered less reassurance. (NHL standings)

Young scorers are producing, but the goals aren't spreading

Columbus averaged 2.33 goals per game, 29th in the league. That shortage stands out because some of the team's younger players have made encouraging starts. Kent Johnson led the Blue Jackets with seven goals and 12 points, matching his entire goal total from last season in October alone. Adam Fantilli, meanwhile, began to find his game after a slow opening. (NHL scoring statistics; Blue Jackets statistics)

Denton Mateychuk and Cole Sillinger have also contributed at timely moments. Zach Werenski and Charlie Coyle have helped set up goals, too. But a few bright spots haven't been enough to give the lineup a consistent scoring base. The production beyond those players has been uneven, leaving the team short of the offense it needs across its forward group.

One snapshot from the month's numbers shows the scale of the concern: Valeri Nichushkin, Matthew Knies, Sean Monahan, Mathieu Olivier, Dmitri Voronkov and Conor Garland combined for six goals and 20 points. Sillinger had three goals, while Coyle had one. The source's projection puts that six-player group on pace for 42 goals and 140 points over a full season. That pace would leave little margin for the top contributors to cool off or for the team to fall behind early in games.

Here's the roster question: if Knies is going to play on the top line, Columbus needs more from the players expected to support him elsewhere in the forward group. Johnson's start and Fantilli's recent improvement matter, but the club can't depend on a small cluster of players to provide nearly all of its scoring. The veterans, in particular, need to turn their opportunities into more goals.

Possession numbers point to a five-on-five problem

The defensive results are also short of the standard the team needs. Columbus allowed 3.25 goals per game, tied for 19th in the NHL. That average alone doesn't explain every goal against, but the five-on-five metrics offer a useful read on why opponents have had opportunities to attack.

According to MoneyPuck's team metrics, the Blue Jackets had a 48.9% Corsi rating, 19th in the league, and a 47.24% expected goals share. In practical terms, they were finishing below half of the shot attempts and expected goals at five-on-five. The club wasn't controlling enough of the play to consistently keep pressure away from its own net.

That distinction matters. A team can have a rough goals-against number because of poor goaltending or a run of unusually effective opponents. Columbus's 99.03% PDO, as reported in the source, doesn't suggest that goaltending and opposing saves alone explain the results. The bigger concern is that the team isn't producing a clear advantage at even strength. Last season, the Jackets could get games stolen by their goaltender; that hasn't been the same escape route through October.

There was a legitimate complication on the blue line. Columbus began the season without Damon Severson, Dante Fabbro and Ivan Provorov, with Provorov returning for the club's final game of the month. Missing three defensemen can strain pairings and make it harder to settle into a consistent defensive structure, particularly for a team already thin in that area. Still, injuries don't explain the scoring rate or the lack of a consistent five-on-five edge by themselves. The other teams Columbus faced also managed their own injury challenges.

Special teams haven't supplied a counterweight

A strong power play or penalty kill could help cover for an ordinary even-strength game. Columbus has yet to get that lift. Its power play converted at 12.9%, 29th in the league, while its penalty kill was 73%, ranked 23rd. That combination leaves the team with little to show for its special teams opportunities and too much work to do while shorthanded.

The issue is especially pressing for a group built to play a big, physical, lower-scoring style. That approach can keep games close when the Jackets manage the puck and limit chances. But when five-on-five play is roughly even and the special teams are near the bottom of the league, close games become difficult to turn into wins. A lower-event identity needs reliable execution in the moments that can swing a tight game.

A demanding November test

The first-month grade is D-. Columbus has some reasons to expect improvement: a mostly healthy roster, Provorov back for the last game of October, Johnson scoring at a strong clip and Fantilli finding his footing. Those are useful developments, but they don't solve the larger pattern on their own.

The quickest route to a better month is more balanced scoring, stronger five-on-five possession and special teams that can change a game's direction. The Jackets' position in the standings may shift as they play the games they have in hand, but the performance measures leave little room for complacency. November will show whether the younger players' progress can draw more of the lineup into the scoring and whether Columbus can make its intended style work over a full night.