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<\/p>\n\n Playoff aspirations are on life support. <\/p>\n
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\t\t\t\t![\"CBJ\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/cbj.png\" "\\"CBJ\\"\/")
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\n\t\t\t\t\tCBJ GOALS:\u00a0
Ivan Provorov\u00a0(1st, 1:17)\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tKyle Connor scored twice as the Winnipeg Jets beat the\u00a0Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 on Saturday night at Nationwide Arena.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tThe Blue Jackets have lost six straight.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tConnor Hellebuyck made 15 saves, only getting beaten by Ivan Provorov in the first period.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tJet Greaves made 23 saves.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tBoth teams came into this one desperate for points. The Jackets, 1-4-1 in their last six games coming in, entered the day tied for the second Eastern Conference wild card spot. The Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators both lost their games earlier in the day.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tThe Jets came in just three points out of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tHead coach Rick Bowness has been desperate trying to find a combination that will work for his Blue Jackets, as the offense has been hard to come by in recent action, with just 12 goals in its last six games entering action.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tIn Saturday’s matchup,\u00a0all it took was one shot and\u00a0one goal for Provorov and the Blue Jackets as they started fast to get the 1-0 lead over the Jets 1:17 into the game. The Blue Jackets and Jets went 12:10 without a first-period stoppage.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tHowever, it was much the same for the Jackets in their inability to uncover much offensively.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tIn the second period, Columbus was\u00a0outshot 9-3\u00a0and didn’t even record a shot on goal until nearly\u00a0four\u00a0minutes left in the frame.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tThe Jets’ offense was spearheaded by No. 81, as\u00a0Connor’s 35th and 36th were all the Jets needed to improve their own playoff chances. His first goal\u00a0for Winnipeg came with just over two minutes left in the first period. His second game was the difference at 10:58 of the third period.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tBowness mixed up his lines for the third period, trying to generate any formula for offense.\n<\/p>\n
\n\t\t#CBJ<\/a> switching up the bottom six in the third period:<\/p>\n 4-3-27 \t\u2014 Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) April 5, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \n\tThe\u00a0Jackets, though, failed to capitalize on or generate anything after the first period. Another loss has dropped the Blue Jackets behind the Flyers in the wild-card chase. The Washington Capitals are now just one point behind Columbus after they beat the Buffalo Sabres in their game.\n<\/p>\n \n\tKent Johnson was a healthy scratch for Columbus. The Blue Jackets held a 24-minute closed-door meeting following the game before media availability.\n<\/p>\n \n\t“I’ll keep our conversation in here,” Zach Werenski said. “We’re a better team than what we’ve shown and just talked about it.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\t#CBJ<\/a> defenseman Zach Werenski with his thoughts on what ails the Blue Jackets right now. It boils down to being on the same page on the ice, and the Jackets aren’t. pic.twitter.com\/aPpqni9jaT<\/a>\n\t<\/p>\n \t\u2014 Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) April 5, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t“All our issues right now are related to just terrible puck management,” Bowness said. “Terrible. Making very poor percentage plays. We create the second-most chances on the forecheck in the entire league. Yet, we want to get inside the blue line and make cute little plays against good teams that aren’t working. And they’re not working.\n<\/p>\n \n\t“They gotta change their mindset. We’re a north, hard-skating, pressure team. You turn the puck over as much as we did; you’re on your heels the entire time. Both goals, we had control of the puck, and we just turned it over and gave it to them. That’s what’s frustrating for me.\n<\/p>\n \n\t“So, we’re not going to sit here and talk about effort. We’re not going to sit here and talk about execution with the puck. We\u00a0had a three-on-one, and we didn’t score. The opportunities to put the puck on the net is there; they don’t even show up in shots on net, but you gotta bury those when you get\u00a0the opportunity.”\n<\/p>\n \n\t\t#CBJ<\/a> coach Rick Bowness on the player meeting postgame: “Listen, this group cares. It’s a good group. They’re frustrated, and I get that. But don’t ever think they don’t care, and don’t ever think they’re not trying. They are.<\/p>\n “Do we need some better efforts? Yes, without a\n\t<\/p>\n \t\u2014 Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) April 5, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \n\tHere’s how the Blue Jackets’ season continues to spiral out of control:\n<\/p>\n \t1st Period:<\/p>\n \n\t(1:17\u00a0\u2014 CBJ Goal): Provorov started the game on the right foot for the Blue Jackets with his ninth goal. Mason Marchment returned to the lineup and got his 23rd assist. He was able to win possession of the puck and wait for the right moment to get the puck to Provorov for the goal.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\tMason Marchment Ivan Provorov<\/p>\n The @BlueJacketsNHL<\/a> open the scoring to get the early lead! pic.twitter.com\/6wmKg5rbrO<\/a>\n\t<\/p>\n \t\u2014 NHL (@NHL) April 4, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \t2nd Period:<\/p>\n \n\t(18:14 \u2014 WPG Goal):\u00a0The Jets got the tying goal from Connor, his 35th. Mark Scheifele (59) and Neal Pionk (8) got the assists.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\tQuite the give and go between 81 & 55.<\/p>\n 35th goal of the season for Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele up to 59 assists and 93 points. pic.twitter.com\/RdheIbrx3l<\/a>\n\t<\/p>\n \t\u2014 Dave Minuk (@ICdave) April 5, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \t3rd Period:<\/p>\n \n\t(10:58 \u2014 CAR Goal):\u00a0Connor’s second goal (36) was the difference for the Jets. Scheifele (60) picked up his second assist of the game. The Jets improved to 11-5-4 since the Olympic break.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\t81 & 55 again!<\/p>\n 36th goal of the season for Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele up to 60 assists and 94 points.<\/p>\n First to get to 60 since Blake Wheeler. pic.twitter.com\/gOeks5LXDd<\/a>\n\t<\/p>\n
43-21-11\n\t<\/p>\n