Game Preview: Blue Jackets Look To Halt Losing Streak; Host Lightning Thursday Night

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
4-2-3 (11 pts; .611%) ROSTER SCHEDULE
7:00 P.M. – THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2 NATIONWIDE ARENA COLUMBUS, OH
TELEVISION: Bally Sports Ohio ESPN+ (Out of Market)
ODDS & PROJECTIONS:
ODDS OF CBJ WIN PER MONEYPUCK: 42%
TIPICO SPORTSBOOK: CBJ +140

Kirill Marchenko is expected to re-enter the lineup Thursday night when the Columbus Blue Jackets look to end a four-game losing streak as they face Nikita Kucherov and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Marchenko has been a healthy scratch the last two games, but practiced on the third line with Dmitri Voronkov and Cole Sillinger at Wednesday's team practice.

Here's what else to know when the puck drops from Nationwide Arena:

TALKING POINTS: TB

• The Lightning come to Columbus to begin a four-game road trip, the next three of which are in Canada. This comes following a 3-0-2 homestand, including shutouts in two of their last three games.
   
• Tampa Bay isn't the team of dominance they are during their Covia-era run — especially without goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy. A five-time All-Star and Vezina winner with multiple Stanley Cups to his name, Vasilevskiy has missed the entire season and isn't likely to return until December following a September back surgery. Without their horse, the Lightning have relied on 28-year-old Jonas Johansson. He's made the start in eight of Tampa's first nine games, posting a 2.73 goals against average and .922 save percentage...
   
• ...but even though they aren't expected to win every game, as they were in the three-year span from 2019 until 2022, they're still a team that has (or will have) all the pieces in place for a deep playoff run. Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point, and Victor Hedman are all still there. Alex Barré-Boulet, Brandon Hagel, and Nick Paul (amongst others) are all still more-than-capable forwards who have the Lightning tied for 7th in the league in scoring, at 3.56 goals per game. The power play, in particular, is dangerous — converting at a third-ranked 33.3% percent through their first nine games.

TALKING POINTS: CBJ

• With Marchenko back in the lineup, it looks like Mathieu Olivier will be the odd man out for Thursday. Head coach Pascal Vincent has made it clear many times in the last two weeks that the team does not want the "13th man" to be considered someone not worthy of being in the lineup, but that they can only dress 12 forwards and someone has to sit. We saw it with Kent Johnson, we saw it with Marchenko, and now may be the beginning of Olivier's "turn" to enjoy the view from above the ice.
   
• After giving up just three goals total in his first two starts, goaltender Elvis Merzlikins has allowed at least three goals in each of his last four starts. His save percentage has been sub-.900 in all four games and a quality start is almost a must-have for a team to pick up a victory over a team like the Lighting. 
   
• Can Johnny Gaudreau score his first goal of the season? It's never taken him this long to notch his first goal, and the Blue Jackets are going to likely need at least three goals to have a chance to win it. The All-Star forward has 29 shots on goal through nine games and is averaging a career high 20:41 per game in time on ice, but has nothing to show for it. He can break the cold streak in a big way Thursday.

Updated: 7:05 a.m. 
Subject to Change