Injuries have kept Wright and Timander off the ice lately and the Jackets have suffered. The Blue Jackets' power play has improved dramatically. That's not horrible, and it certainly is unexpected from an expansion team. It's a problem.
Special teams are more important than ever.
Expansion has dispersed talent and created more parity. The best power plays are built on skill. Penalty killing is a different story. The Blue Jackets have had bona fide penalty killers such as Kevyn Adams, Robert Kron and Bruce Gardiner since the get-go. You have to outwork the other team's skill.