The Columbus Blue Jackets set record after record during the 2016-2017 regular season, but for all of their achievements, they came up short against the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Blue Jackets were unable to hold several leads over the Penguins, and won just once in the best-of-seven series, and because of that, Columbus coach John Tortorella feels the season cannot be called a success because it ended without the achievement of the ultimate goal, a Stanley Cup Championship.
“I don’t know if accomplishment’s the word,” Tortorella said in his exit interview with the media. “I think we’ve improved in areas, but I also think we obviously have a lot more improving to do.
“We’re out in the first round. That’s the problem. That’s the problem right there. We’re out in the first round, so that’s not success.”
Despite having the third-most points in the Eastern Conference, the unique format for the Stanley Cup Playoffs had the Blue Jackets do battle with the second-best team in the East, the Penguins, in a best-of-seven opening-round series.
The Blue Jackets (50-24-8, 108 points) finished just three points behind the Penguins (50-21-11, 111) in the Metropolitan Division standings, but that difference proved critical, as Pittsburgh got home-ice advantage for the series.
In front of the home fans for Game 5, the Penguins scored early, and when they tallied, it was often on the way to a 5-2 win over the Blue Jackets.
With the Game 5 win, the defending champion Penguins advanced to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, while the Blue Jackets suffered their third first-round exit in three postseason trips in franchise history.
“I saw a lot of good things with our team playing against a very good club,” Tortorella said. “I also saw some things that we definitely need to improve on. It’s pretty generic. I’m not going to get into specifics.”
Admittedly, Tortorella felt the Blue Jackets “improved in the mental aspect of the game, a standard that we want this team to be seen as part of our DNA.” But in order for that to remain among the NHL’s best teams, the Blue Jackets have to make those improvements throughout the offseason and when they return for training camp in September.
“I’m not going to say we improved here and there because we were 27th and now, fourth,” Tortorella said. “We were out in the first round, so we have to get better. We have to get better in all areas, but also, knowing that we’re on the right track, especially in the mental part of it, especially in the culture.
“I want this organization to be known. I want consistency and that’s consistency of a standard. We have defined a standard. I don’t think we met it all the way through throughout the year. I think there’s been some inconsistencies.”
