Steve Mason

Boom!  The NHLPA has rebuffed the NHL's realignment plan. Yes, your read that correctly. 

At the beginning of every season, fans of the Columbus Blue Jackets believe their team will be a playoff threat. And every year they are severely let down.  

The difference this season is that their eternal optimism is finally justified. It's no secret that for years the Blue Jackets needed talent to pair up front with Rick Nash, as well as a player to quarterback the power play.  

This season has not gotten off to the start that the Columbus Blue Jackets were hoping for. After 10 games, the Jackets are a league worst 1-8-1. Columbus has only won two of their last 20 games dating back to last season.

The expectations were so high for the Blue Jackets in the offseason with the signings of All-Star Jeff Carter and defenseman James Wisniewski.

The Columbus Blue Jackets attempted to improve this off-season.

While they most certainly upgraded on paper, the on-ice product has yet to be seen.

The Columbus Blue Jackets were one of the many teams on Friday that made a splash in the free agent market. The team locked up 27-year- old defenseman James Wisniewski to a six-year deal worth $33 million.

This, combined with the acquisition of Jeff Carter, filled two of the Blue Jackets' most important needs. The other need for the Jackets was a goaltender to backup youngster Steve Mason.

Before the February 28th trade deadline, the Columbus Blue Jackets had solidified themselves as contenders in the Western Conference.

They were playing their best hockey all season, going 8-4 in the month of February and looking almost unstoppable.

Columbus received stellar play from players like Rick Nash, rookie Matt Calvert and goalie Steve Mason. The team's chemistry was something no fan wanted to see split up via a trade, but fans knew the Jackets needed one to two pieces to finish the puzzle.

Just think: 19 days ago, on February 4, before a game in Detroit, rumors spread like wildfire that Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Steve Mason, among others, was on the trading block. 

Two of the hottest teams in the NHL collide tonight in Columbus, Ohio as the Blue Jackets host the Los Angeles Kings. 

Columbus (28-23-5) has been on a roll lately, winning five of their last six games. LA (31-22-3) has a 9-game unbeaten streak, going 7-0-2 during that stretch. The Kings are on a brutal 10-game road swing but are finding success, going 4-0-2 in the first six games of their longest road trip of season.

The two Western Conference rivals have their goalies to thank for their recent winning streaks.

After another stellar weekend for the Jackets, Columbus is still very much alive in the playoff race. They find themselves only four games behind eighth-place Minnesota with an important matchup Wednesday night against the Kings, who are currently ranked ninth.

The word around all of Columbus and the rest of the NHL is this: in order for the Blue Jackets to cap off their impressive run with a playoff berth, general manager Scott Howson must bring in someone who will make an immediate impact.

Coming off a grueling comeback victory over the Chicago Blackhawks Friday night, the Dallas Stars faced off against the red-hot Columbus Blue Jackets in a Sunday matinee, which also was Stars' head coach Marc Crawford's 50th birthday.

Unfortunately for Crawford, Columbus captain Rick Nash would not allow a Stars' victory to complete his birthday as the Blue Jackets defeated the Stars, 2-1.