Six Years, No Playoffs: Can Rick Bowness Finally Change Columbus’ Culture?
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Ivan Provorov plays against the Seattle Kraken on Nov. 12. Photo by Jenn G.
Written By Gina Anton
Six years is long enough for a playoff drought to become more than a statistic.
For the Columbus Blue Jackets, missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for six straight seasons has become a reflection of a team that has struggled to turn promising stretches into sustained success. Now, with Rick Bowness back behind the bench, Columbus has another opportunity to change that. But this time, simply being competitive won't be enough.
The Blue Jackets appeared to be heading toward a different ending last season. After a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on March 24, Columbus sat second in the Metropolitan Division and looked firmly in the playoff picture.
Nevertheless, the Blue Jackets lost six straight games, beginning a 2-8-1 stretch that ultimately ended their season. Columbus finished fifth in the division, six points behind Philadelphia for third place and seven points behind the Ottawa Senators for the Eastern Conference's second wild-card spot.
For a team that had spent much of the season putting itself in position to make the playoffs, the collapse was another reminder of how quickly things can unravel in Columbus.
Bowness didn't mince words afterward. Following a 2-1 season-ending loss to the Washington Capitals on April 14, the Blue Jackets coach questioned the team's mentality and said the players weren't bothered enough by losing. He made it clear that if he returned, changing the team's culture would be one of his priorities.
He did return.
Now, the message has been delivered. The next challenge is proving that it actually stuck.
“I wouldn’t come back if I didn’t think we could get this team in the playoffs,” Bowness said. “I want to win.”
Bowness isn't returning to oversee another rebuilding season or another campaign where a strong first half is enough to generate optimism. Columbus has already shown that it can compete. The problem has been sustaining that level when the stakes become highest, particularly when the pressure of a playoff race begins to build.
The six-game losing streak in March was especially damaging because of where the Blue Jackets had put themselves beforehand. A team sitting second in its division had an opportunity to control its own playoff destiny. Instead, the season slipped away almost immediately. That is the type of collapse Bowness is trying to eliminate.
"Just look at the stat sheet: Three hits, 23 giveaways. I don't know if I'm back, but if I'm back, I'm changing this culture,” Bowness said after the season finale. “These guys, they don't care. Losing is not important enough to them. It doesn't bother them. How can you go out and play like that?"
Changing a team's culture, however, is easier said than done. It isn't accomplished through one speech, one training camp or one coaching decision. It has to show up when Columbus faces adversity in February, when injuries begin to pile up, when the standings tighten and, most importantly, when games in March and April start carrying playoff-level pressure.
The Blue Jackets need to become a team that responds differently in those moments.
They don't necessarily need to dominate the Metropolitan Division, and they don't need to be perfect. But they do need to avoid another late-season collapse that turns a promising season into another summer watching the playoffs from home.
That is where Bowness' influence will be measured. His blunt assessment after last season's finale wasn't just criticism. It was a challenge to the players and the organization. If Columbus truly wants to end a six-year playoff drought, it has to develop the mentality of a team that expects to play meaningful hockey late in the season.
There are reasons for optimism. The Blue Jackets proved last season that they could compete with playoff-caliber teams and spend time near the top of the division. But potential only carries a team so far.
After six consecutive seasons without playoff hockey, Columbus needs more than another promising stretch. It needs consistency and resilience when the pressure increases late in the season. Bowness believes this team is capable of getting there, but now the Blue Jackets have to show that last season's collapse won't happen again.
