Game Preview: Splitting The First Two, Blue Jackets Seek A Winning Road Trip With Midweek Matchup Against Avalanche

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3RD 9:00 P.M. BALL ARENA DENVER, CO

COLORADO AVALANCHE

LOCAL TV: BALLY SPORTS OHIO OUT OF MARKET: ESPN+ RADIO: THE FAN 97.1FM

The Columbus Blue Jackets hit the road for the final time during their first extended road trip of the season as they head west for a Wednesday evening match-up with the Colorado Avalanche. It's an important game for the Blue Jackets after splitting the first two games on the road, including a come-from-behind victory Sunday against the New Jersey Devils. A win in Denver will give Columbus a winning road trip and 12 points in their first nine games. That would tie their best point total through nine games, a feat the franchise has accomplished just three other times in twenty seasons. To accomplish the 6-3-0 start, the Blue Jackets will need their best effort of the season.

KNOW THE FOE

Don't let the 4-4 record fool you. The Colorado Avalanche are off to a pedestrian start, but are one of the league's very best and have Stanley Cup aspirations.

However, word broke Tuesday that the Avs will be without several key players in the lineup against Columbus for the first half of the home-and-home. Top-line forward Mikko Rantanen, who missed the last two games, has been ruled out for Wednesday's game. So too has top-pairing defenseman Cale Makar, who is listed as day-to-day with an upper body injury. Andre Burakovsky, who had filled in for Rantanen in his absence, has been listed as doubtful for the game. Head coach Jared Bednar also announced that backup goalie Jonas Johansson will get the nod in net for just his second start of the season.

Despite the missing players, the Avalanche still have a potent offense, led Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog. The pair have combined for 17 points through a total of 12 games; each player has missed two games so far this season. With Colorado allowing three or more goals all but once since opening night, the Avalanche forwards know they'll need to be aggressive on offense.

STAT DEPOT

		TEAM STATS
2.75	Goals For		2.88
2.75	Goals Against		3.38
25.0%	Power Play		12.9%
77.8%	Penalty Kill		81.8%
27.1	Shots For		31.6
35.0	Shots Against		31.1
52.3%	Faceoff Percentage		47.6%
2.11	Expected Goals For		2.41
2.64	Expected Goals Against		1.93

		PROBABILITIES & PROJECTIONS
27.8%	MoneyPuck's Win Probability		72.2%
12.1%	MoneyPuck's  Playoff Odds		91.2%
31.0%	FiveThirtyEight's Win Probability		69.0%
21.0%	FiveThirtyEight's Playoff Odds		85.0%

Columbus		BETWEEN THE PIPES	Colorado
Elvis Merzlikins	Projected Starter		Jonas Johansson
4-1-0	Record		0-1-0
1.97	Goals Against Average		3.05
.939	Save Percentage		.919
Joonas Korpisalo	Projected Backup		Darcy Kuemper
1-2-0	Record		4-3-0
3.27	Goals Against Average		2.87
.913	Save Percentage		.904

PROJECTED LINES*

*subject to change 

STORYLINES

• ELVIS' REBOUND: After four dazzling starts in net, Elvis Merzlikins looked human in his last start. The New York Rangers scored twice in the opening period in their Friday night win over the Blue Jackets, and added a pair of power play goals in the third en route to a 4-0 shutout. It was Merzlikins' first start of the season in which he allowed more than one goal over the opponents expected goals, with the Rangers xG total closing at 2.68. Will we see the Elvis we saw up until Friday, or was Friday the start of a rough patch for the Blue Jackets' number one goalie?
   
• SECOND LINE SUCCESS: With Max Domi out again — this time in COVID-19 protocols — the Blue Jackets will again need to move the lines around. In Tuesday's practice in Colorado, head coach Brad Larsen had Gus Nyquist, Cole Sillinger, and Oliver Bjorkstrand back together on the second line. The trio has played 21 minutes together on the second line, and of all line combinations with at least 12 minutes together on the ice, it's been the most productive line for Columbus this season. Can the second shift strike again?
   
• BOONE!: New captain Boone Jenner is off to a great start, scoring five goals in eight games, averaging more than 20 minutes of ice time per night, and winning over 60% of draws. After a rough 2020-21 campaign, Jenner looks to have turned a corner and gotten back to the 30-goal version we saw of him in the 2015-16 season. What's a little odd, though, is that he's yet to collect an assist — especially weird, considering he's seeing ample power play time and is skating on the top line with Patrik Laine and Jakub Voracek. Can he deliver his first apple of the year and keep opposing defenses guessing?

Follow 1st Ohio BatteryFacebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube