Thank You Columbus Blue Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets had a miraculous season on the ice. They went through the regular season on a grind and were close to being eliminated from the playoffs. They then managed to hang on to grab the final seed in the Eastern Conference and a date with the best team in the NHL, the Tampa Bay Lightning.

As many of you already know, the Columbus Blue Jackets were one of the surprise stories this season, not because of how they were able to get into the playoffs, but how they were able to dispatch the Lightning in four straight games. That's a big achievement, and against a team that was the clear favorite to win the Stanley Cup.

That sweep allowed them to get themselves into a matchup with the Boston Bruins. The Bruins took care of the Blue Jackets in six games.

While it may seem like the Blue Jackets would go on to the Eastern Conference Final and probably a date with the Carolina Hurricanes, it was a pretty successful season because I did not expect them to get into the playoffs, much less get a surprise upset over the Lightning.

John Tortorella, his coach, and the Blue Jackets organization should be very proud of how well this team has played all season and into the playoffs. Although it did not end with a Stanley Cup, in my estimation, they have already won the NHL this season.

Throughout most of the season, they have struggled to remain within the playoff picture and they took it upon themselves to get a couple of guys from the Ottawa Senators, like Matt Duchene, to try to hold on to that spot, which ultimately helped them get that last spot. As a result, this team is resilient, this team doesn't give up, and it always fights til the final horn goes off.

I would like to say this: The Columbus Blue Jackets are a team of the future. They're a team not to be messed with. They will be competitive til the end. That's the Blue Jackets I know.

Thank you Columbus Blue Jackets. Thank you 5th Line. Thank you to the great folks of Ohio and the city of Columbus for putting together a team that doesn't give up and doesn't give in.

Have a wonderful summer and I'll see you in October!