from Katie Strang of ESPN,

The Blue Jackets seemed to emerge as one of the favorite sleeper teams to watch in the Eastern Conference coming out of the Olympic break, and just last week they were nestled in quite nicely among the top three teams in the Metropolitan Division.

But the Blue Jackets haven't been able to string together consecutive wins over the past six games and that has cost them valuable points.

As of Monday, Columbus trails Toronto by two points for the last wild card spot, and though the Maple Leafs appear to be on the brink of disaster the Blue Jackets are not doing themselves any favors right now, either.

Friday's 3-1 loss to the Rangers was a magnificent game on both ends of the ice -- spirited, physical, energetic -- and it's hard to imagine they did not suffer an emotional letdown in their visit to Long Island Sunday.

The Blue Jackets were blanked 2-0 by a feeble, injury-ravaged Islanders squad. The biggest question mark for Columbus right now? The power play, which was stifled on all six attempts Sunday and has not recorded a goal in the past ten games. The Blue Jackets still have two games in hand on the Leafs, but they are going to have to show more consistency in order to earn a post-season berth.

read on for Burnside on the Leafs, Custance on the Wild and LeBrun on the Leafs...