The Columbus Blue Jackets flirted with earning a Stanley Cup Playoff spot last season, but faded down the stretch and ultimately fell short. And so far in the 2025-26 NHL season, their record leaves plenty to be desired, and head coach Dean Evason wasn't shy about letting them know about it.

The Blue Jackets were defeated on home ice at Nationwide Arena by the visiting Colorado Avalanche on Thursday evening, a 4-1 final score. And afterward, Evason said he felt that his club showed too much respect to the talented Avalanche.

“That’s a good team, but we probably gave them way too much respect and didn’t get to our game and play the way we play, and that was the disappointing thing tonight,” Evason said, via NHL.com.

“They have good players and so do we. That’s not how we play. We were passive tonight. We were soft. We’ve got to play hard. If we’re going to win hockey games, we’ve got to play hard and we didn’t play hard enough tonight to win.”

Evason continued by saying they simply didn't compete at an adequate level.

“The first three (games), we liked the way we played. We didn't like how we played tonight,” he said, via Jeff Svoboda on X. “We didn’t play hard enough tonight in order to win — forget about playing against that team, against any team in the (NHL).”

It was also the second straight game that Dean Evason blasted his team in the wake of a loss, as he did after their 3-2 defeat at the hands of the New Jersey Devils on Monday.

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Blue Jackets have won only 1 of 4 games to begin season

Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins (90) makes a pad save Colorado Avalanche during the first period at Nationwide Arena.
© Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images

The Blue Jackets haven't gotten off to the start that they wanted so far this campaign, having won only one of their first four games.

They triumphed 7-4 over the Minnesota Wild on October 11, but that remains their only victory. They've dropped contests against the Nashville Predators, Devils, and Avalanche. Because of their 1-3-0 record, they're second-to-last in the Metropolitan Division.

The Blue Jackets will have a chance to try and right the ship in their next game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Nationwide Arena on Saturday evening.