Game Preview: Blue Jackets Begin Long Road Trip Tuesday With Faceoff Against Red Wings In Detroit

DETROIT RED WINGS

34-28-6 (74 pts; .544%) 5th, Atlantic Division ROSTER SCHEDULE

7:00 P.M. – TUESDAY, MARCH 19 LITTLE CAESAR'S ARENA DETROIT, MI

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

The Columbus Blue Jackets begin a five-game road trip Tuesday night when they go up against Lucas Raymond and the Detroit Red Wings. 

The road trip ties Columbus' longest of the season; they went 2-2-1 on the western Canada roadie to conclude January. This one both starts (with Detroit) and ends (with Pittsburgh) near home, but will take the Blue Jackets to the southwest for the weekend.

Columbus will be playing their third game in four days; they defeated the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night before an ugly 6-1 loss Sunday to the Winnipeg Jets. It was the second five-goal loss of 2024 for the Blue Jackets, who fell 5-0 on January 9th to — guess who — the Jets. Surprisingly, these are the only two Columbus losses of five goals (or more) this season.

Here's what else to know as the Red Wings and Blue Jackets meet from the Little Caesar's Arena in Detroit:

TALKING POINTS: DET

• With a spot in the top three likely out of the equation for the Red Wings, it's wild card or bust if Detroit wants to end a seven-season playoff drought. They're currently one point behind the Washington Capitals for second (and last) spot, but are just one point ahead of the surging New York Islanders and three points ahead of another team climbing quick in the Buffalo Sabres. Every game is crucial for the Red Wings, who have to view a home game against the Blue Jackets as a must-win.
   
• The Red Wings have three players (Lucas Raymond, Alex Debrincat, and Dylan Larkin) with 20+ goals, 25+ assists, and 50+ points. That doesn't include Patrick Kane, who is averaging nearly a point a game (14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points in 37 games) since signing with Detroit in December. This is a balanced team that has four lines that can score at any time. 

TALKING POINTS: CBJ

• With Daniil Tarasov likely getting the start in net, this could be another look at the Blue Jackets long-term plans at goaltender. In his last eight games, Tarasov's save percentage has been north of .900 and has averaged .942. His goals against average during that span is a teeny-tiny 2.08. 
   
• Defensive miscues and sloppy turnovers were the name of the game Sunday and that's somewhat of a recurring theme with this club. Scoring goals is a little more exciting than taking care of the puck, but the former does not happen without the latter. Good decisions will lead to good transitions. 
   
• With no practice Monday, the lineups for Tuesday are a bit of a mystery as of early morning. Tarasov is probably the starter and the top line of Johnny Gaudreau, Boone Jenner, and Alex Nylander should be able to be written in ink, but the rest of the lineup is a toss-up. If it's similar to Sunday, here are the projected (but subject-to-change) lineups: