Saturday’s game with the Ottawa Senators marked the 50th game since John Tortorella took over as head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets. The change came after a disastrous 0-7 start to the season under Todd Richards, in which the franchise failed to even take a game to overtime, which would’ve meant at least a point. By hiring the winningest American coach in NHL history, analysts viewed the coaching change as a much-needed wake-up call for the Blue Jackets, who have a history of slow starts to new seasons.

At the 50-game mark, Tortorella’s record with Columbus stands at 23-21-6, with 52 points. They are not the worst team in the league as of February 14, but still face a monumental climb if they want to challenge for a playoff spot. The New York Islanders have a 12-point advantage on the Blue Jackets for third in the Metropolitan Division, while the Penguins lead Columbus by 11 points for the second wild card slot.

It’s been a habit for the Jackets to make late-season streaks at the end of campaigns. At the end of the shortened 2012-13 season, Columbus was arguably the hottest team in the NHL, but their poor start meant they lost out on a tiebreak to Minnesota for a playoff berth. The following year, their hot streak began in mid-January, allowing the team to make the playoffs for only the second time. Last year, a dismal November meant their winning run towards March & April was not enough to qualify for the postseason.

In 2015-16, the biggest problem for Columbus has been late-game collapses or giving up the first goal of a game early. On more than one occasion, players have said they found a way to lose a game, rather than win. Tortorella made a bold move earlier this season, bringing in defenseman Seth Jones in a trade that sent one-time fan favorite Ryan Johansen to Nashville. Jones has adapted well to Columbus, playing a key role in the past two games; a shootout win over Anaheim and a regulation win over the Senators.

The Blue Jackets have won four of their past five games, so making this the start of a big run could spell a postseason berth. Perhaps most incredible is the fact that both Sergei Bobrovsky and regular backup Curtis McIlhenny are both injured, but both Joonas Korpisalo and Anton Forsberg have shown at times they have futures in the NHL.

Columbus has two more games remaining on their current homestand, hosting Boston on Tuesday and Buffalo on Friday. They’ll have a matchup at Detroit on February 23rd on NBCSN, which could prove to be either an important statement or an embarrassment on national television. It’s make-or-break for the Blue Jackets, and what a turnaround it would be for Tortorella to take the franchise to the playoffs after that disastrous start.