Columbus Blue Jackets Tickets

Columbus Blue Jackets 2010-11 Season Preview The Columbus Blue Jackets know that the 2010-2011 season could be make or break for them in more than one way, especially considering that fan support of the franchise has really dwindled over the past year.

Ticket sales are down a whopping 25% since last year, meaning the team probably has to win a lot and be very entertaining for fans to come out and for some of the lost revenue to be re-couped.

While this is certainly a message from the fans to the franchise that they want to see a winner on the ice, there is also definitely a larger element at play. The Columbus area has been one of the hardest hit areas by the recession, forcing people to significantly cut back on entertainment spending.

It also didn't help that, one year after making the playoffs for the first time, the team inexplicably tanked. That meant an offseason of significant change that resulted in an entire new coaching staff being hired.

Goaltender Steve Mason's play, as well as that of the defense in front of him, both really dropped off from 2008-2009. The Blue Jackets will need Mason and the defenders to step it up if they want to turn things around.

It seems like an ugly situation in Columbus these days, but all hope is not lost. The Blue Jackets return many of the same players from a team that made the playoffs just two years ago, so maybe they can get back to playing good hockey again.