And just like that, the Columbus Blue Jackets suffer another loss—sixth in a row. At PPG Paints Arena, Sidney Crosby was out there doing what Sidney Crosby does—scoring a goal and making an assist, thus extending his point streak to six games. And the Penguins? They’ve been catching fire, winning five of their last six. And suddenly, that wild-card spot doesn’t look so far away. Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust made their presence felt, scoring a goal each and making one assist each, and Alex Nedeljkovic was virtually unbeatable with 44 saves to his name. Meanwhile, Columbus? Yikes. Boone Jenner finally snapped a 13-game goal drought, but it wasn’t enough. The Blue Jackets have been ice-cold, struggling to find the back of the net and sitting three points behind the Canadians.

The game had its moments—Jenner scored a goal which made fans hopeful, but Pittsburgh killed that hope immediately. Malkin, Acciari, and Imama also contributed to the scoring list, while Crosby repeated the record of scoring 25+ goals for the 15th consecutive season, becoming the second player after Ovechkin. The Columbus Blue Jackets attempted to make a comeback, as Kent Johnson finally ended a five-game scoring dry spell, but Rust put the game to bed with an empty-netter and a 6-3 victory for the Penguins. And now? Frustration is boiling over, and an American NHL star isn’t holding back—because this losing streak? It’s getting ugly.

Columbus Blue Jackets’ star gets honest!

Columbus Blue Jackets’ star, Zach Werenski, didn’t dance around the truth—this one hurt. When asked how crucial wins are right now, he let out a deep sigh, admitting, “I mean, they’ve all been frustrating, to be honest.” The Blue Jackets have been grinding, putting in the effort, “We do a lot of good things. We work hard. We play the right way, and we haven’t got rewarded.”

And that? That’s the worst part. Usually, when a team does everything right, the hockey gods show some love. But for Columbus? Not a single break in sight. This is the time of year when every game is do-or-die, where “you need points, and you need results, and we haven’t done that.” And yet, despite the weight of six straight losses, Werenski is refusing to let the frustration drown him.

He is still hopeful, despite of the fact that the cards are not in his favor. “Still a lot of hockey to be played, and I have to stay positive and look at the bright side of things,” he added, trying to keep the faith alive. And sure, playing well is great—but at some point, moral victories don’t fill the standings. “At the end of the day, we have to get two points and end these games.” That’s it. That’s the mission. And no matter how much they try, they won’t be able to close out those games if they don’t lock in the wins this season may be lost.

Whew… it’s been a brutal month for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Ten games deep into March, and they’ve only managed to scrape together two wins. That’s it. Just two. And their last L before this one? Yeah, that came literally a day ago, when Aleksander Barkov scored a power-play goal at 29 seconds into the overtime and gave a 1-0 heartbreak for Columbus against the Florida Panthers. But hey, even with the losses stacking up like an ugly tower of Jenga blocks, the Blue Jackets aren’t in this alone. Because guess what? Someone special is still riding with them, supporting them where the road looks very tough for them to manage.

Blue Jackets get support from a legend!

The Columbus Blue Jackets stirred things up on X on 19th March and brought a little hockey zest for the world to watch. They reposted an ESPN clip of LeBron James vibing courtside at a Lakers-Nuggets Stadium Series game—but here’s the plot twist. The King wasn’t rocking a Pittsburgh Penguins jersey (y’know, the team he co-owns). He pulled up in Columbus Blue Jackets drip instead. ESPN even hyped it up, saying, “LeBron’s custom Stadium Series jersey @BlueJacketsNHL,” and Columbus wasted zero time backing their guy, replying, “No debate: LeBron is the (goat).”

So why the love for Columbus? Oh, that’s easy. Sure, LeBron might have some Penguins stock, but at the end of the day, he’s still Ohio born and raised—Akron’s very own legend. And when the moment called for it, he didn’t hesitate to rep Columbus like the hometown hero he is. And just like that, King James made his stance crystal clear—right before the NHL playoffs heat up! Speaking of playoffs, buckle up because the road to the Stanley Cup is officially set!

The madness kicks off on Saturday, April 19, with teams battling it out for a shot at the ultimate prize. And when the dust settles, only two squads will stand tall, facing off in the Stanley Cup Finals starting June 7. If it all goes the distance, we could be looking at a Game 7 showdown on June 23—because nothing delivers drama like a do-or-die finale! Fans in the U.S. can catch every slap shot and goal on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, and TBS, while Canadian hockey lovers can tune in via CBC and Sportsnet. Time to drop the puck and let the chaos unfold!