Game Preview: Blue Jackets Begin Another Road Trip, Battle Sens In Ottawa

OTTAWA SENATORS

21-25-2 (44 pts; .447%) 8th, Atlantic Division ROSTER SCHEDULE

7:00 P.M. – TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13 CANADIAN TIRE CENTRE  OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CA

TELEVISION: Bally Sports Ohio ESPN+ Power Play (Out of Market)

We're getting to that time of the season that fans of the Columbus Blue Jackets know all too well in recent years.

The "it's not all bad if they lose" time.

The Blue Jackets are in Canada on Tuesday, battling the Ottawa Senators before heading to California to complete a four-game road trip.

It's a game that matches the 28th and 29th best teams in the league, or in other words: the teams with the 4th and 5th best odds to win the draft lottery. There is no Connor Bedard to be won this summer, but there is a consensus top pick — Macklin Celebrini — that would make a tough season easier to digest. 

Here's what to know when the Blue Jackets and Senators face off north of the border. 

TALKING POINTS: OTT

• Ottawa recently jumped Columbus in the standings by way of a three-game winning streak. They're 6-1-2 in their last nine games, although have only outscored the opposition by a 32-26 margin in those games. 
   
• Tim Stützle is one of the more exciting young players in the league. The 22-year-old was the third overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft and is averaging nearly a point a game. Stützle has more assists (36) than any Blue Jacket has points (Johnny Gaudreau leads Columbus with 34).
   
• Regardless of who starts in net for Ottawa, one thing is true: it'll be a former Columbus goalie. Joonas Korpisalo has gotten a majority of the starts for the Senators this season and is 13-16-2 with an .890 save percentage and a 3.37 goals against average. Second in command is Anton Forsberg, who briefly played with the Blue Jackets with 10 games under his belt (pads?) between 2014 and 2017. Forsberg is 7-8-0 in 15 starts this season, with key stats nearly identical to Korpi: an .889 save percentage and a goals against of 3.35.

TALKING POINTS: CBJ

• There have been a few bright spots for the Blue Jackets: Adam Fantilli (pre-injury), Dmitri Voronkov, Kent Johnson... and now Johnny Gaudreau is starting to heat up. Gaudreau had a pair of third-period assists in Saturday's loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The points extended his point streak to a season-high four games. 
   
• And then there's the less-than-bright spot: Columbus allowed two more power play goals in Saturday's loss. That's seven goals allowed in the opposition's last 13 power play opportunities. Over the last 22 games, the Blue Jackets penalty kill sits at a league-worst 68% (23 goals on 63 attempts). 
   
• Projected lineups for Tuesday's game, which is based off Saturday's lineup and adjusts for Yegor Chinakhov, who is likely (as of Tuesday morning) to miss the game.