Game Preview: Looking For A 60-Minute Effort, The Blue Jackets Are Back On Home Ice To Face The Los Angeles Kings

LOS ANGELES KINGS
14-4-3 (31 pts; .738%) ROSTER SCHEDULE
7:00 P.M. – TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5 NATIONWIDE ARENA COLUMBUS, OH
TELEVISION: Bally Sports Ohio ESPN+ Power Play
ODDS & PROJECTIONS:
ODDS OF CBJ WIN PER MONEYPUCK: 34%
PLAYOFF ODDS PER MONEYPUCK:  Kings: 98% Blue Jackets: 5%
TIPICO SPORTSBOOK: CBJ +180

There is a line in a decades-old episode of The Simpsons, where two ladies ask a hippie version of Homer how he keeps his hair so rich and full.

"Lather, rinse, and repeat," Homer replies.

"Always repeat."

If there's one thing that the Columbus Blue Jackets are excelling at this season, it's repeating.

The bad news is that what they're good at repeating is the process of melting down in the third period,

It happened again Sunday night, with the Blue Jackets turning a 1-0 lead entering the final period into a regulation loss against the Boston Bruins. The Blue Jackets are 3-3-0 since Thanksgiving but have been tied or leading in the final frame of all six games.

What version will we get Tuesday, when the Blue Jackets are back home to do battle against the Los Angeles Kings: the one that holds the lead, the one that blows it, or the one that never has the lead to begin with? Ironically, it's that last option that has been the least frequent in Columbus this season.

Here's what to know when Los Angeles makes their only visit of the season to Nationwide Arena:

TALKING POINTS: LA

• After a lukewarm first week or two of the 203-24 campaign, the Kings have gone 12-2-2 over their last 16 games. A five-game winning streak (four of which were by three or more goals) came to an end Saturday on home ice against the Washington Capitals, but Los Angeles hopes a new streak started with a win Sunday over the Colorado Avalanche.
   
• Los Angeles has had a very balanced offense through the first quarter of the season, but the team MVP is goaltender Cam Talbot. The 36-year-old journeyman is sporting a .930 save percentage and goals against average of 1.96 in 15 starts this season, his first with the Kings. Whether or not he keeps it up is anyone's guess, but if he does he'll be on the short-list of Vezina candidates.
   
• Just a few nights after the Blue Jackets welcomed Joonas Korpisalo back to town, they'll welcome Vladislav Gavrikov for his first trip to Columbus as a member of the opposition. Gavrikov signed a two-year deal with Los Angeles after being shipped there by Columbus in March.  Former Blue Jacket Pierre-Luc Dubois is on the Kings roster, as well, on his third team in three years.

TALKING POINTS: CBJ

• Chicken vs egg: Is it better to blow a lead, or to never have one at all? The answer feels like the former, but it's really frustrating to see so many potential points disappear in the third period. This is part of the growing pains that a young team (and its fans) will have to endure. Last season, they weren't even in contention by the third period.
   
• Spencer Martin allowed three goals in the third period, but the loss can't really be pegged on him too much. Penalties crushed the Blue Jackets, and they gave up multiple power-play goals for the first time since October 26th. Giving a team a half-dozen power plays hurts, as it turns out. Going 0-for-4 on the man-advantage yourself only adds insult to injury.
   
• What will Dmitri Voronkov do next? He's more than holding his own at center and it seems there's a possibility that this may not be a temporary or short-term trial. He is a treasure to watch and does seemingly everything the right way. As they say nowadays, for whatever reason, "let him cook."

Updated: 7:05 a.m. // Subject to Change
Lines are based on most recent practice/game, injury updates, and club news.