New York Islanders: Three Reasons They’ll Beat Columbus Blue Jackets

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 06: The New York Islanders celebrate a second period goal by Brock Nelson #29 against the Winnipeg Jets at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum on October 06, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Back-to-Back

This will be the third back-to-back for the Columbus Blue Jackets this season. And were only a handful of games into the season. That something I’d bring up to the NHL schedule makers next season if I were the Blue Jackets.

On Friday, the Columbus Blue Jackets are in Chicago to play the Blackhawks at 8:30 eastern. After that they fly back to Columbus for a game against the New York Islanders less than 24 hours later for their third back-to-back in three weeks.

Again, the Blue Jackets are 1-1-0 in back-to-backs this season so they might be buoyed by that record. But they really shouldn’t be.

That one win in a back-to-back was against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes had also played the night before their date with the Blue Jackets. In the Hurricanes first game of the back-to-back, they ran laps around the New York Islanders.

The Hurricanes were equally tired. The game ended 3-2 for the Blue Jackets. It was a close one, fought out by two teams who were clearly exhausted.

Their one loss in a back-to-back situation came at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Unlike the Blue Jackets, the Penguins didn’t play the night before. Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets played the Leafs the night before at home and then traveled to Pittsburgh.

The Penguins demolished the Blue Jackets by a score of 7-2.

Traveling from Chicago to play less than a day later is going to be difficult for the Blue Jackets. A situation made increasingly more difficult with a rested Islanders team who are on a three-game winning streak.

Based on how the Columbus Blue Jackets dealt with a similar situation just a few weeks ago, this is a big advantage for the Islanders.