Series Preview: How the Defensemen Match Up in Blue Jackets vs. Penguins

Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, Conor Sheary. There's no doubt about the Pittsburgh Penguins' firepower up front.

With four 20-goal scorers and two superstars putting up more than a point per game this season, including Crosby, who's considered one of the best players in the NHL over the last decade, the Pens can score with any team in the league.

We're not here to talk about forwards, though. We're here to talk about the blue line.

Defense, much like goaltending, is a position in which the Columbus Blue Jackets may actually hold an edge on the defending Stanley Cup champions in their first round playoff series, scheduled to begin Wednesday night in Pittsburgh.

COLUMBUS Blue Jackets

Led by rookie Zach Werenski and budding star Seth Jones, the Blue Jackets defensive corps has been a steadying rock for the club on the way to the franchise's first 50-win season.

Werenski, a potential Calder Trophy winner in most years when Auston Matthews is not scoring 40 goals in Toronto, leads all Blue Jackets defensemen, and indeed all rookies at that position, in points this season with 47 (11–36). Just 19, he owns the franchise rookie scoring record and his breakout season has him in good company, sixth all-time in points from a teenage defenseman, in the rarified air of the likes of Larry Murphy, Phil Housley and Ray Bourque.

The No. 8 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft has missed the past four games after sustaining a hit from Washington's Alexander Ovechkin, although he is expected back in the lineup for game one in Pittsburgh.

Jones, Werenski's mate on Columbus' top pair, has been just as good for the Blue Jackets. The No. 4 pick in the 2013 draft arrived in Columbus at the midpoint of last season as part of a blockbuster trade that sent center Ryan Johansen to Nashville and he's produced to the tune of 12–30–42 during this campaign.

Tall and rangy with excellent speed, Jones has a shoot-first mentality on the offensive end, with the tools to shut down the other end for the Jackets. He logs a hearty 23:24 in ice time per game, tops on the team and his 118 blocked shots are good for third on the club. Jones has struggled recently, particularly getting caught pinching on offense, but he has the full trust of his head coach, John Tortorella.

Simply put, the Werenski and Jones combination is better than anything the Penguins will field in the series.

But the talent doesn't end with the top pair. Jack Johnson has been nothing if not consistent, leading the club with 134 blocked shots and logging nearly 22 minutes of ice time per contest. Johnson, like Jones, is not afraid to crash the net at the other team and can even dangle every now and then.

David Savard has quietly put together a stellar season for Columbus. His +33 rating is good for third in the NHL – and good enough for a new single season record for the club – and Savard's 126 blocked shots are second on the team. Here he is doing David Savard things.

Providing depth to the corps is Markus Nutivaara, trade deadline acquisition Kyle Quincey, Scott Harrington and rookie Gabriel Carlsson, who's shown enough in two recent games to earn ice time in the series.

Pittsburgh penguins

When discussing the Penguins defense, you have to start with Kris Letang. The Montreal native has blossomed into a star for Pittsburgh, approaching point-per-game territory and earning the club's Defensive Player of the Year award in 2015 and 2016.

Unfortunately for the Pens, the three-time NHL All-Star Game selection will require surgery for a herniated disk and is out for the playoffs.

University of Wisconsin product Justin Schultz has emerged as an offensive-minded defenseman for the Penguins, notching 12–39–51 in 78 games for Pittsburgh this season. Expect him to quarterback the Pens' power play from the point.

Schultz is joined on the Pens' top unit by Ian Cole (5–21–26). Cole's +26 trails only Schultz's +27 on the team and he's Pittsburgh's first choice as a defender on the team's penalty kill unit. Cole leads the team with 194 blocked shots and is fourth on the club with 164 hits.

Brian Dumoulin is another true defenseman on the club and he's a quality defender, registering 99 blocked shots and logging nearly 21 minutes of ice time per night, but he is not the two-way force Letang is for the Pens.

Former Blue Jacket Ron Hainsey, a trade deadline acquisition by the Penguins, who have seen their blueliners riddled with injuries this season, also logs heavy minutes for Pittsburgh, putting in 21 minutes per game. The stay-at-home defenseman holds a dubious distinction: no NHL hockey player has played more regular season games than Hainsey's 906 without experiencing the thrill of playoff hockey.

Trevor Daley (5–14–19, 20:23 TOI) and Olli Maatta (1–6–7, 18:04 TOI) both recently returned to the lineup after missing extensive time with injuries. Daley returned April 6 against New Jersey having been out since Feb. 23 from knee surgery. Maatta, who had been out since Feb. 16 following surgery on his hand, returned to the Pens lineup Sunday and logged 29 shifts against the New York Rangers.

Pittsburgh has a talented roster – that's not up for debate. However, their blue line has been banged up all season and is missing Letang, the unit's top skater, for this first round series. If there's group to exploit, it's going to be these guys.