Columbus Blue Jackets (1–0–0) at Chicago Blackhawks (1–0–0)
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2017, 8:30 p.m. (UNITED CENTER)
John Tortorella is an old-school guy who stops at nothing to keep the focus of his team on today. Not tomorrow, not next week. Today. The Blue Jackets prepared throughout camp for Game 1 against the New York Islanders, and they were impressive in earning a 5-0 win.
Tonight, though, presents a different challenge altogether.
The Chicago Blackhawks looked lethal in their 10-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night. Seemingly every scoring chance found the net, and every mistake became a scoring chance. Columbus can do something crazy by its own standards and start 2-0 with a win at United Center tonight. But it will not come easy.
You Oughta Know: Nick Schmaltz
The 21-year-old Schmaltz is the newest line mate of Patrick Kane, and as is tradition, he will probably end up scoring 30 goals this season as a result. Schmaltz is currently centering Kane and Ryan Hartman, a line that combined for four goals and 12 points in the Blackhawks' opening night win.
Three Fast Facts
- Columbus is 4-2-0 against the Blackhawks dating back to 2014-15.
- Bobrovsky's shutout last night was the 20th of his Blue Jackets career, surpassing Steve Mason for most in team history
- The Blue Jackets are 32-39-10 all-time against the Blackhawks, including a span of four years** in which they didn't beat Chicago. ** -- unreliable math
Keys to the Game
ONE: Start well. The Blue Jackets came out on the front foot last night and now, facing a confident Blackhawks team, they need to play their game from the start and not let Chicago establish its forward-motion, attacking style.
TWO: Score first, score early. United Center is one hell of a place to watch hockey and the crowd can have an effect on opposing teams, particularly if the Blackhawks are humming in the first period. The place rumbles, and the Jackets need to make sure it doesn't.
THREE: Discipline. That doesn't mean simply to stay out of the box, it applies to the Blue Jackets not giving up an inch of free ice to the Blackhawks. Limit their options, limit their possibilities.
Blackhawks Projected Lineup
| # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | BRANDON SAAD | 1 GP, 3-0-3 | 19 | JONATHAN TOEWS | 1 GP, 0-1-1 | 14 | RICHARD PANIK | 1 GP, 1-1-2 |
| 38 | RYAN HARTMAN | 1 GP, 1-4-5 | 8 | NICK SCHMALTZ | 1 GP, 2-1-3 | 88 | PATRICK KANE | 1 GP, 1-3-4 |
| 10 | PATRICK SHARP | 1 GP, 1-0-1 | 15 | ARTEM ANISIMOV | 1 GP, 0-1-1 | 12 | ALEX DEBRINCAT | 1 GP, 0-1-1 |
| 17 | LANCE BOUMA | 1 GP, 0-0-0 | 67 | TANNER KERO | 1 GP, 0-0-0 | 40 | JOHN HAYDEN | 1 GP, 0-1-1 |
| # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | DUNCAN KEITH | 1 GP, 0-1-1 | 7 | BRENT SEABROOK | 1 GP, 1-2-3 |
| 6 | MICHAEL KEMPNY | 1 GP, 0-1-1 | 5 | CONNOR MURPHY | 1 GP, 0-0-0 |
| 42 | GUSTAV FORSLING | 1 GP, 0-1-1 | # | JAN RUTTA | 1 GP, 0-1-1 |
| # | Player | GS | W-L-OL | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | COREY CRAWFORD | 1 | 1-0-0 | 1.00 | .966 | 0 |
| 31 | ANTON FORSBERG | 0 | 0-0-0 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
With Bobrovsky starting last night, it's possible that Joonas Korpisalo will make his debut tonight in Chicago. Tortorella speaks to reporters around 6:20 p.m. CT.
Follow 1st Ohio BatteryFacebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube
