Learn how the Blue Jackets are rewarding defence with offence.

There's no way that an NHL player all of a sudden remembers how to play the game just because a head coach is swapped out in the middle of a season. This business turns over coaches much faster than other major sports, and it trickles down into junior and minor hockey as well. It's bonkers.

At the same time, it can be difficult to ignore cold, hard facts, and the fact of the matter is that since January 13th, the Columbus Blue Jackets have gone on a tear that's seen their win percentage overshadow that of the mighty Buffalo Sabres. What happened on January 13th? The most veteran of veteran head coaches, Rick Bowness, took over behind the Columbus bench.

The change has worked, as we'll see in the clips that I haven't watched yet. The evidence comes from Natural Stat Trick. Columbus has 17 wins in 23 games as of March 20th (Buffalo has 19 in 25). They're fourth in percentage of shots for, second to Buffalo in goals for, and like the Sabres again, they have a strong save percentage.

So let's start there. If the goalies are enjoying a strong save percentage, my guess is the team is defending well in front of them. The point of this is to get curious, to determine why a team is enjoying success by starting with the numbers first and then backing it up with the eyeballs.

Here are three games to cherry-pick from:

Home vs. New York Rangers

• CBJ didn't allow a shot until they'd rattled off seven of their own

• Some difficulty off d-zone draws, NYR forechecking well

• Tying up in front, defenders are boxing out and letting the goalie see the puck

• One glorious chance in front, but that's it. Low volume

• Muffin shot eludes the goalie

To my eye, it looks like they're limiting the Rangers' chances in this game. When they do get in trouble, it's because of their own sloppiness at either blue line or New York's ability to win offensive zone draws. Easy stuff to work on for the next game.

Home vs. Carolina Hurricanes

• Tracking is a bit of an issue, but you can see that they know this. They're just a bit late, and Carolina is a dominant 200-foot team

• Once again, a couple of mistakes with puck management, which is going to happen

• Carolina scores during 4-on-4 by exposing a defenceman wide. That's not coaching, that's on the GM (who hired the coach)

Watching these chances, you can start to see the pattern. The chances against aren't revelatory, but they're infrequent. The same errors, if you can call them errors, aren't repeated.

Away vs. Philadelphia Flyers

• Hybrid d-zone coverage becomes obvious. Man-on-man down low, zone defence up top. There's a bit of confusion when switching at the tops of the circles

• Tracking. The goalie bails out the team (there's that save percentage)

• The Flyers clog up the middle and drive the net

It's also really apparent, in just three games, how each team's style varies. That's something that's easier to pre-scout once the playoffs roll around. From watching these clips and knowing what we know about the numbers, I'd say it's not one specific thing Bowness has introduced, but rather attention to detail without the puck. The Blue Jackets are organized in their own zone, they track hard, and they tie up opponents in the house.

Was it really the new voice that flipped the switch? Only the players know for sure, but Bowness has been on the other end of coaching changes in his career as well, so he's been the perfect new voice for this team.

You Have to Score, Too

Just for fun, let's see what the even-strength goals for in the same three games look like.

• OZP, switch sides, D activates

• OZP, D creativity, puck to the net

• Rush, rebound

• Rush, rebound

• Forecheck, capitalize on a mistake

• Faceoff play, puck to the net

• Rush

• OZP, rebound

You still have to score, but offence is the reward for good defence. It's a formula Columbus has figured out, and it might just take them all the way back to the playoffs.