Game Preview: Blue Jackets Ship Up To Boston To Start Home-And-Home With Bruins

BOSTON BRUINS

42–20–5 (89 points; .664%)

7:00 P.M. – SATURDAY, APRIL 2ND TD GARDEN BOSTON, MA

Bally Sports Ohio ESPN+ (Out of Network)

With five straight losses, the Columbus Blue Jackets will look to shake their longest losing streak of the season Saturday night when they head to Boston for the first half of a home-and-home with the Bruins.

The skid began when the Blue Jackets fell 5-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins last week to begin a three-game road trip. That was followed up with overtime losses in Winnipeg and Minnesota to make it 0-2-1, and that became 0-4-1 when Columbus lost both ends of a home-and-home with the New York Islanders.

The losing streak may be a blessing in disguise: Columbus currently owns the 12th-worst record in the NHL. The top 11 teams have a chance at the number one pick in this summer's NHL draft, but beginning with the 12th-worst team, the first pick is mathematically eliminated. The San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks are just three points behind Columbus, and finishing at the top of that heap versus the bottom could be significant. 

RE: BRUINS

Boston is hot. They've won five of their last six and have scored 18 goals in the last three games. Saturday's game is the final game of a five-game homestand for Boston, and as the season enters its last month, the Bruins find themselves in fourth place in the Atlantic Division and in the first wildcard spot. However, they are just three points out of second place in the division — so they have plenty to play for, despite being a lock for the postseason. 

David Pastrnak has been huge during the streak, especially over the last four games. Pasta has five goals and five assists in that span; a total of ten points in the roughly 71 minutes he's been on the ice in those four games. He leads the team in both goals (38) and points (71), with fellow forward Brad Marchand leading the team in assists (38) and ranking second on the team in points (68). 

The ingredients are in play for Columbus to have a long night. Boston excels in shot quantity (their 35.7 ranks third in the league), and Columbus' 35.3 shots allowed per game is second-worst behind Arizona. The Blue Jackets are 3-11-1 this season when allowing 40 or more shots on goal, and there's a really good chance that happens Saturday night.

STORYLINES

• NICK FOLIG-NO?
  Saturday will be the celebration of Nick Foligno's 1000th career NHL game (a feat he accomplished in March; Saturday's game would be his 1007th) — but Foligno missed Thursday's game with a lower body injury and as of Saturday morning is questionable for a return to the lineup. Fingers crossed that he can go; he deserves the honor and to be in uniform for it.
   
• ELVIS HAS TO BE BETTER
  The defense is bad, but that excuse can only go so far. At .902, Elvis is barely clinging to a .900 save percentage. One bad start could send him under that ever-important mark. Merzlikins has given up three or more goals in 13 of his last 16 starts, and his .895 save percentage since the calendar flipped from 2021 to 2022 is at least some cause for concern. With about a dozen starts left for Merzlikins before the end of the season, his play from here out could help set the tone for the team and the goaltending position going into the offseason. 

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