On Dec. 18, the Blue Jackets ranked 26th in the NHL standings and trailed a wild-card spot by five points. After dropping eight of their last nine games, the playoffs seemed increasingly out of reach. They have gone 9-3 ever since.

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The New York Islanders host the Philadelphia Flyers after Bo Horvat's two-goal game against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Islanders' 3-1 win.

Blue Jackets' OT win over the Kings include Marchenko's 'Bobby Orr' impression and Werenski extending his point streak at home.

The New York Rangers missed a chance to get closer but didn't lose ground in the playoff race the past few days.

William Wallinder was named the first star for the Grand Rapids Griffins in a 4-1 victory over the Rockford IceHogs.

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Even with Boston struggling, David Pastrnak has looked like his normal self - leading the league in major stats to start 2025.

Tarasov absorbs a tough night as Blue Jackets' backup, the NHL's scheduling quirks plus a troublesome center shortage: 3 takeaways

The Rangers’ climb back into the playoff picture is a reflection of how well they’ve been playing of late (8-1-3 in January). It also shows how deep of a hole they dug earlier in the year: They’ve had a sustained stretch of strong hockey and still haven’t fully erased the damage.

The New York Islanders host the Philadelphia Flyers after Bo Horvat's two-goal game against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Islanders' 3-1 win

The New York Rangers won again, 6-1 against the Philadelphia Flyers, to extend their [point streak to 1o games (7-0-3).