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| CAROLINA HURRICANES |
52-22-7 (111 pts; .685%)
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7:00 P.M. – TUESDAY, APRIL 16 NATIONWIDE ARENA COLUMBUS, OH |
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TELEVISION: Bally Sports Ohio ESPN+ Power Play (Out of Market) |
The Columbus Blue Jackets hit the ice for the final time in the 2023-24 season Tuesday night as they welcome the Carolina Hurricanes to Nationwide Arena.
It's been another long season for the Blue Jackets, who are missing the postseason for a fourth consecutive season. The story is quite the opposite for the Canes, who are making it beyond the regular season for the sixth straight season.
Whether or not the Blue Jackets win, their finish in the standings is already known: with the fourth-worst record in the NHL, they'll have a 9.5% chance of winning the draft lottery and presumably drafting Macklin Celebrini. The 17-year-old Boston University standout became the youngest-ever winner of the Hobey Baker Award, given to the top player in college hockey. Adam Fantilli won the award last year.
But that's (potentially) later. In the meanwhile, here's what to know as the Blue Jackets say goodbye to the 5th Line:
| COLUMBUS | SEASON STATS | CAROLINA |
|---|---|---|
| 2.81 (t-26th) | GOALS FOR | 3.38 (8th) |
| 3.64 (31st) | GOALS AGAINST | 2.53 (3rd) |
| 15.2% (30th) | POWER PLAY | 27.1% (2nd) |
| 76.8 % (25th) | PENALTY KILL | 86.3% (1st) |
| 30.0 (20th) | SHOTS FOR | 33.2 (3rd) |
| 34.3 (31st) | SHOTS AGAINST | 25.6 (1st) |
| 47.2% (27th) | FACE-OFF | 52.6% (6th) |
| CAROLINA: LAST THREE GAMES | ||
| TUE, 4/9 | @ Bruins | W, 4-1 |
| FRI, 4/12 | @ Blues | W, 5-2 |
| SUN, 4/14 | @ Blackhawks | W, 4-2 |
| CAROLINA: TEAM LEADERS | ||
| GOALS | Sebastian Aho | 36 |
| ASSISTS | Sebastian Aho | 53 |
| POINTS | Sebastian Aho | 89 |
| ODDS & PROJECTIONS | ||
| ODDS OF CBJ WIN PER MONEYPUCK: | 31.8% | |
| TIPICO SPORTSBOOK ODDS: | CBJ +235 | |
TALKING POINTS: CAR
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Game 82 is nearly as anticlimactic for Carolina as it is for Columbus. They are locked into second place in the division and will face the third-place New York Islanders in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
- Carolina is looking for the season sweep over the Blue Jackets. They have defeated Columbus in regulation in the first three matchups, including a 3-0 win last week in Raleigh.
TALKING POINTS: CBJ
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Hello, Gavin Brindley. The Blue Jackets signed the Michigan Wolverine to his entry-level contract Monday, and the expectation is that he will make his NHL debut Tuesday night.
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Zach Werenski has a third and final chance at breaking the club record for assists in a season by a defenseman. He's currently tied with James Wisniewski at 44, and has registered only one assist in his last four games.
- Lines are primarily based on Saturday's game and are subject to change:
| LW | C | RW | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Johnny Gaudreau | 10 | Dmitri Voronkov | 92 | Alex Nylander |
| 42 | Alexandre Texier | 4 | Cole Sillinger | 86 | Kirill Marchenko |
| 82 | Mikael Pyythia | 7 | Sean Kuraly | 23 | Gavin Brindley |
| 67 | James Malatesta | 16 | Brendan Gaunce | 24 | Mathieu Olivier |
| LD | RD | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Zach Werenski | 78 | Damon Severson |
| 9 | Ivan Provorov | 44 | Erik Gudbranson |
| 77 | Nick Blankenburg | 55 | David Jiricek |
| Starting Goalie | Back-Up Goalie | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 73 | Jet Graves | 32 | Malcolm Subban |
