Seasons in the Sun: The Columbus Blue Jackets: Hunt For Green October

In the financial world, being in the green is where you want to be. Green means that your bottom line is showing a profit. Red on the other hand, means that you are at a loss. Clearly, if you want to stay in business being in the green is where it is at, and that has not been so easy for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Blue Jackets routinely struggle out of the gate, but they manage to play better over the rest of the season. This makes hardcore Blue Jackets' fans frustrated.

The last time the Blue Jackets had winning record in October, you have to go all the way back to the 2010-2011 season when Ken Hitchcock was head coach. He was fired mid-season, but he went on to coach the St. Louis Blues, made the conference final last year. Yet, the Blue Jackets were still last in their division. Just food for thought.

Todd Richards

Claude Noel served as the interim coach until he was replaced by Scott Arniel for the 2011-2012 campaign. That season turned out to be a disaster with a 2-10 record in October. Arniel would be replaced by Todd Richards, and the Blue Jackets coaching carousel continued to spin.

In the lockout-shortened season of 2012-2013, play started in January. The Blue Jackets stumbled out of the gate again with a 2-6 record. They rebounded very nicely and just missed out on the playoffs due to a tie breaker. So, even in the team's first season without Rick Nash, there was hope for the future.

The 2013-2014 season had a better start for the Blue Jackets, and they went 2-2 over their first four games. A three-game road trip sunk their record to 2-5. They rebounded with a three-game winning streak at home. Then they dropped the last game in October to go 5-6 for the month, and the hunt for a green October continued.

John Tortorella

The Blue Jackets won their first two games of the 2014-2015 season. By mid October, they sported a record of 4-2. Then, a West Coast road trip killed all the momentum. After beating the Sharks, they lost games to the Kings and the Ducks. It was followed up by losses to Ottawa and Toronto at home. The Jackets finished 4-6. It would be a long season for the team; they set a record for the number of games lost due to injuries.

October 2015 was a mirror image of October 2011. The team started October with a 2-10 record, which included losses in the first eight games of the season. Todd Richards was fired and replaced by John Tortorella.

Blue Jackets October Schedule

The upcoming season looks hopeful, even though their October schedule looks tough. They open against Boston, then face San Jose and Chicago at home. On a road trip to the West Coast, they play Dallas in the second game of a back to back (Chicago at home, Dallas away). From Dallas, they go to LA to face the Kings and wrap up October with dates against the Sharks and the Ducks. All games except the Boston game are against last year's playoff teams.

It's going to take a bunch of effort for a green October this year. The Blue Jackets have a bunch of young talent they can pull from to get wins. They also have veteran leadership that can help the youngsters along the way. A long West Coast road trip can be what this team needs to bring them closer together. As long as they can stay healthy and work together, the Blue Jackets could make this a season for the ages.