Columbus, which has not qualified for the post-season since 2020, has won 10 of its past 15 games (10-3-2). The Blue Jackets continue a critical, road-heavy stretch Wednesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“I definitely look (at the standings),” Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson told reporters. “It’s fun to look at it now. I didn’t look too much the last couple years.”
Under new coach Dean Evason, the Blue Jackets have ramped up the aggressiveness. As The Athletic explained at the start of the season, Evason’s system “starts with a two-man forecheck, which, ideally, pressures the puck while opponents are just starting to make their way out of the zone.”
That approach has paid off. Opponents have…