Blue Jackets’ players echo Bowness’ frustration with late-season collapse

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) 鈥� For the second time in four seasons, Rick Bowness had a front row seat to one of his teams collapsing down the stretch and ending the season with disappointment.

And once again, Bowness did not hold back on his opinions as they enter the offseason.

Bowness鈥� 3-minute rant after the to the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night remained fresh in players鈥� minds on Wednesday as they went through end-of-season meetings.

Bowness said he should have voiced frustration a couple of weeks earlier. Had he done so, the Blue Jackets might have reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2020. Instead, after posting a 3-9-1 record in their final stretch, they fell just a few points short.

鈥淭hese guys, they don鈥檛 care. Losing is not important enough to them. It doesn鈥檛 bother them. How can you go out and play like that?鈥� Bowness said postgame. 鈥淭his is why we鈥檙e out of the playoffs. That kind of effort. You have to hate losing. I don鈥檛 care if it鈥檚 a meaningless game. Show up and compete.鈥�

The Blue Jackets were in last place in the Eastern Conference when Bowness as coach on Jan. 12. They went 18-2-4 in Bowness鈥� first 24 games and moved into a playoff spot after collecting a point in 12 straight games.

But when the regular season reached its critical final stretch, Columbus reverted to early season form, including tying a franchise record with six consecutive home losses.

鈥淲e鈥檙e all frustrated, and the fans are too. We were in a good spot and weren鈥檛 good enough down the stretch. That鈥檚 on us. We have to own it and learn from it,鈥� team captain Boone Jenner said.

Defenseman Zach Werenski disagreed with Bowness鈥� assessment that the players don鈥檛 care or don鈥檛 hate to lose, but also knew that the late-season collapse left everyone angry.

鈥淚 have a ton of respect for him. He loves us as players, and we love him as a coach,鈥� Werenski said. 鈥淲e need to learn how to win, and he can help us with that. He鈥檚 been around a long time and knows what it takes. We haven鈥檛 done it enough 鈥� it鈥檚 clear. But saying we don鈥檛 care or don鈥檛 hate to lose, I think that鈥檚 wrong.鈥�

Bowness was more emotional this time than in 2023, when he criticized his Winnipeg Jets team after being eliminated by Vegas in the first playoff round.

鈥淚鈥檓 so disappointed and disgusted right now, that鈥檚 my thoughts,鈥� he said after the Jets鈥� Game 5 loss. 鈥淣o pushback. But it鈥檚 the same crap we saw in February. It was. As soon as we were challenging for first place and teams were coming after us, we had no pushback.鈥�

In addition to shifting the team鈥檚 culture, the Blue Jackets must address their inability to protect late leads. Over the course of this season, they blew 21 third-period leads. The backbreaker came on March 29 against Boston when Columbus was up 3-0 through two periods and .

鈥淲e have to learn how to win and get over that hump. That鈥檚 what our fans deserve, and we owe it to each other. It鈥檚 a tough lesson and will be a long summer thinking about it,鈥� forward Adam Fantilli said.

President of Hockey Operations and GM Don Waddell has plenty of decisions to make during the offseason, including whether Bowness will return behind the bench.

Center Charlie Coyle and left wing Mason Marchment, along with Jenner, will be unrestricted free agents. Fantilli, the third overall pick in the 2023 draft, is a restricted free agent in line for a lucrative extension.

Werenski led the team with 81 points and is among the favorites for the Norris Trophy as the league鈥檚 top defenseman. He tied the franchise record in assists (59) and joined Brian Leetch and Phil Housley as the only American-born defenseman in NHL history to post consecutive 80-point seasons.

If the 71-year-old Bowness is back, he knows the first thing he wants to do.

鈥淚f I鈥檓 back, we鈥檙e changing this freaking culture,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been around long enough to know. I鈥檒l find ways. I鈥檝e got enough experience. I鈥檝e dealt with this. I鈥檝e dealt with it before. If we鈥檙e back, we鈥檒l straighten it out.鈥�

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Freelancer reporter Nicole Kraft contributed to this story.

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