Game Preview: Blue Jackets Return To Columbus After Winless Road Trip; Begin Home-And-Home With Islanders

NEW YORK ISLANDERS

28–27–9 (65 points; .508%)

7:00 P.M. – TUESDAY, MARCH 29TH NATIONWIDE ARENA COLUMBUS, OH

Bally Sports Ohio ESPN+ (Out of Network)

Despite points in six of their last eight games, the Columbus Blue Jackets will look to snap a three-game losing streak when they face the New York Islanders from the friendly confines of Nationwide Arena on Tuesday night.

Saturday's 3-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild was the second straight overtime loss for the Blue Jackets, both of which ended early in the extra frame. After just one overtime loss in their first 54 games, the Blue Jackets have four OTL's in their last dozen games and are 4-4-4 during that stretch. 

While lucky to get a point in Friday's game (or unlucky, if of the mindset that these are meaningless points that simply hurt draft positioning) in Winnipeg, Columbus held a 2-1 lead for the first 18:57 of the third period in St. Paul against the Wild and had the game just about in the bag. But, with goaltender Marc-Andre Fluery pulled, Minnesota won a key face off deep in the Blue Jackets' zone and Kirill Kaprizov scored his 35th goal of the season with 1:03 left to tie the game at 2-2. Moments later, Jared Spurgeon gave Minnesota a 3-2 win.

With the overtime losses now (hopefully) behind them, the Blue Jackets will begin a portion of their schedule that may remind the team of the entire 2020-21 season: back-to-back games against the same opponent. Tuesday's game with New York will be followed up by a Thursday meeting from the Islanders new UBS Arena, and then Columbus begins consecutive home-and-homes with Boston and Philadelphia, respectively.

RE: ISLES

Like Columbus, New York is coming off two straight losses — they were outscored 10-4 by the Bruins and Lightning in a weekend back-to-back. 

But, after being one of the most disappointing teams in the first half of the season, the Islanders have slowly gotten back to the level many had expected from them for the duration of the year. The two losses over the weekend ended a hot streak in which the Islanders went 7-1-1, and it's that streak that has propelled them into a race with the Blue Jackets to see which team finishes 5th in the Metropolitan Division.

Barry Trotz's group is likely to be back in the thick of things next season. The Islanders have too much talent that's already locked up for next season. New York doesn't have a single forward who is an unrestricted free agent at season's end, and their three best defensemen (plus both goalies) are under contract for next year, too. That means Brock Nelson, Anders Lee, J.G. Pageau, and Matthew Barzal will all be back. It also means a young player like defenseman Noah Dobson will have one additional season of growth, and Dobson has already taken a large step forward this season with ten goals and 27 assists as a 22-year-old blueliner. 

STORYLINES

• TURNABOUT IS FAIR PLAY
  The Blue Jackets have lost three games this season by a score of 6-0, but the only eastern conference team to hand Columbus such an ugly loss was the Islanders back on March 10th. That was the first game for the Blue Jackets at the Islanders new UBS Arena, so for no other reason than that, let's give them a pass. On one condition — atone that loss when the Islanders make their second (and final) trip of the season to Nationwide Arena on Tuesday.
   
• VORA-CHECK
  Jakub Voracek's goal Saturday was his fifth straight game with a point, and Voracek finds himself just one point behind Patrik Laine and Oliver Bjorkstrand for the team leader in points. His 48 points have come on just five goals, but three of those goals have come in the month of March. That Voracek-for-Atkinson deal was a tough pill to swallow at the time, but it's been a good example of a trade in which both teams benefitted. He simple checks all the boxes. With the kids likely to see more playing time over the last month of the season, Voracek's leadership and steadiness will be as crucial as ever.

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