Game 4: The Blue Jackets Enter Desperation Mode as They Try to Stave Off Elimination

There's not much more to say. The season is on the brink as Columbus hosts Pittsburgh in Game 4. Can what should be another raucous crowd in Nationwide Arena push the Blue Jackets to their first victory in the series?

Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Pittsburgh Penguins 7:30 p.m., Nationwide Arena, Columbus TV: CNBC, FSO

THE STORYLINE

In baseball, they say the 27th out is the hardest to get.

The NHL playoff equivalency of that is the hardest win to get is the fourth one.

Columbus and Pittsburgh will put that to the test tonight in Game 4. With Pittsburgh holding a 3-0 series lead, the Blue Jackets host their second postseason game this year in Nationwide Arena with the season on the line.

In other words, Columbus will be playing desperate hockey knowing a loss will end the most successful season in franchise history. In the same situation three years ago, the Blue Jackets battled back for three goals in short order in the third period but couldn't overturn an early 4-0 deficit and saw their season end in Game 6 vs. the Pens.

"There really is no special recipe," captain Nick Foligno said of what the Jackets have to do. "It's just do or die right now. It's a good mind-set though. We've played good hockey and it's unfortunate we put ourselves in this situation.

"It might body well for us where we really have nothing to lose. I think it's going to allow us to let our game go a little bit."

It all sounds good, but there's little doubt Columbus will be up against it in Game 4. The Blue Jackets will be playing without star defenseman Zach Werenski, whose broken cheekbone will keep him from returning in the series.

They'll also have to overcome Game 3's crushing loss. The Jackets led 3-1 after a period but lost a 5-4 overtime decision on Jake Guentzel's overtime goal.

Mindful of his team's psyche, head coach John Tortorella wanted the team to clear its mind a bit yesterday before returning today with a renewed fervor.

"An emotional loss last night," Tortorella said yesterday. "We know we're in a hole. It does not change how we go about our business. I think our team has played hard, has had some struggles along through the games, but we're not changing our approach in how we're supposed to play and how we're preparing for the game."

One bright spot will be the return of winger Matt Calvert, who was suspended for Game 3 after his cross-check of Tom Kuhnkackl near the end of the second game. 

"It was tough to watch last night," Calvert said. "You want to be out there helping your teammates. I'm just going to come back and play my game, bring energy, play hard and try to help out the team."

The only thing left for the Blue Jackets to do is to let it rip in a situation where one more loss means the season is over.

"It's the same type of desperation we've been trying to play with as the series has gone on here," Tortorella said.

3 KEYS TO GAME 4

That game start: Columbus finally held a lead in Game 3, and though it didn't hold, it did set up the Jackets with a chance to win in overtime despite Pittsburgh's ability to generate high-quality chances throughout the game. The quick start will be even more important this time around considering the emotional loss the team eventually took on Sunday.

Strong D: Columbus looked ragged in the defensive zone without Werenski for parts of the second period and in overtime. Seth Jones will acquire a new partner and the third pair will also likely gain a new entrant. It's a big ask against a talented Penguins team, but Columbus must play with structure.

Big guns: Boone Jenner and Scott Hartnell are yet to score a point in the series. Nick Foligno, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Sam Gagner and Alexander Wennberg are yet to score goals. Some combination of these players must get on the scoreboard.

YOU OUGHTA KNOW

Columbus: Brandon Dubinsky has two playoff goals in nine postseason games, but they've both been doozies. His game-tying goal in the waning moments of Game 4 set up perhaps the most memorable moment of the 2014 playoff run, and his tally in the third period of Sunday's Game 3 gave the Jackets the chance to win the game in overtime. Dubinsky had a chance to win it then, but Marc-Andre Fleury used his coconut to make a stunning stop to keep the Pens in the game on a rebound. Still, Dubinsky is known for the sandpaper in his game, but he seems to show up when the Jackets need him to.  

Pittsburgh: Much of the attention in the series has shifted to the Sidney Crosby line after Game 3. Crosby's work behind the net set up Guentzel's winner, giving the 22-year-old a hat trick in the game. But the Pens' point leader thus far is Evgeni Malkin with two goals and four assists for a total of six points. The Russian is also winning 52.3 percent of his draws and playing 19:22 per game, and at 5-on-5, he has positive numbers in Corsi percentage, Fenwick percentage and scoring chance percentage. And the last time the Penguins faced the Jackets in an elimination game, Malkin posted a hat trick in Nationwide Arena.

THE SERIES

• Game 1 PIT 3, CBJ 1: Despite a first-period shots blitz, Columbus fell behind 3-0 on the way to losing the opener. Phil Kessel had a goal and an assist for the Pens, while Matt Calvert scored the lone goal for the Jackets in the third.
• Game 2 PIT 4, CBJ 1: A first-period error by Sergei Bobrovsky gave Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead and Guentzel answered Brandon Saad's equalizer in the second as Columbus fell into a 2-0 hole in the series.
• Game 3 PIT 5, CBJ 4 (OT): Two goals by Cam Atkinson awoke the Columbus offense as the Jackets took a 3-1 lead in the first before Pittsburgh's pushback gave the Pens a 4-3 lead. Dubinsky's equalizer tied the game in the last five minutes, but Guentzel's OT tally won it for Pittsburgh.

THIS SEASON

• Dec. 22, 2016 CBJ 7, PIT 1: Scott Hartnell rings up a hat trick as the Blue Jackets explode for seven goals at Nationwide Arena for win 11 in the team's 16-game streak.
• Feb. 3, 2017 PIT 4, CBJ 3 (OT): The first meeting of the campaign in Pittsburgh ended with Phil Kessel's OT winner, but Columbus fought back from a 3-1 deficit in the third to tie it.
• Feb. 17, 2017 CBJ 2, PIT 1 (OT): Dubinsky (who else?) played the hero, sliding into the slot and scoring in OT to delight the Jackets' home crowd.
• April 5, 2017 PIT 4, CBJ 1: Columbus essentially ceded home ice in the first round with this loss as the Penguins never trailed on the way to the victory in the Steel City.

Penguins Projected Lineup

Pittsburgh has had little reason to change its lineup now, with an offense that has put home 12 goals in four games and a defense that has solidified in front of Marc-Andre Fleury.

Blue Jackets Projected Lineup

Matt Calvert re-enters the lineup after his Game 3 suspension, but who takes Zach Werenski's spot in the defensive lineup remains up in the air between veteran Kyle Quincey and rookie Markus Nutivaara.