Columbus Blue Jackets (8-4-0) at Florida Panthers (4-6-1)
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017, 7:30 p.m. (BB&T Center)
Heading to Florida as the November chill sets in might seem like a vacation to some, but it's up to the Columbus Blue Jackets to put in the work as the team heads south to take on both the Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning.
The season lid-lifter against a struggling Panthers team might be viewed by some as the warmup act of the Sunshine State swing, but points cannot be taken for granted, which the Jackets learned during a loss in their previous trip to South Florida in January.
Two years ago, Florida made the playoffs and appeared to be a team on the upswing, but a rough start a year ago cost former CBJ coach Gerard Gallant his job. Now, another former CBJ coach in one-time assistant Bob Boughner is leading the Panthers, though a tough 2-5-1 stretch shows the team must do work in order to achieve a bounceback season.
With that in mind, a Panthers team with the second-worst defense in the NHL to this point had a closed-door meeting after its last game.
“That’s what it’s about,” Boughner told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel in the above piece. “I can only go in there so much, and they got to take care of business. That’s their room and they got to hold each other accountable at times, as well. I think we have a good leadership group to do that.”
You Oughta Know: Evgenii Dadanov
Three players are tied for the Panthers' team lead in points. Two have what could be considered household names among NHL fans in Jonathan Huberdeau (the third overall puck in the 2011 draft and 2013 Calder Trophy winner) and Aleksander Barkov, the No. 2 pick in the 2013 draft who has 49 career goals last season. Then there's Dadanov. The 28-year-old Russian was originally tabbed by the Panthers in the 2007 NHL draft but never stuck, playing in 55 games from 2010-12 with 10 goals and 10 helpers to his account. He eventually returned to Russia and became a consistent scorer the past few years with SKA Saint Petersburg, including a 30-goal campaign a year ago. With the team saying goodbye to Jaromir Jagr this offseason, Dadanov was billed as a replacement and has been just that, potting six goals and adding eight helpers for 14 points in 11 games while skating with the top line.
Fast Facts
- Florida has been one of the top offensive teams in the league this year, placing sixth in the league with 3.64 goals per game. The team has scored 29 goals at 5-on-5, fifth in the league.
- On Oct. 26 vs. Anaheim in his fourth NHL game, Panthers 2017 first-round pick Owen Tippett scored his first NHL goal. He is one of only three 2017 draft picks to have scored a goal this season.
- The Blue Jackets are 15-7 all-time vs. Florida, holding a 2.83-2.33 average score edge in games.
Previous Matchups
THIS YEAR: First meeting
LAST MEETING: Columbus dropped a 4-3 decision on Jan. 14 last season in the BB&T Center. It capped a season in which the Jackets went 1-1-1 against the Panthers.
Keys to the Game
ONE: Take an early lead. Florida's defense has been awful this year, allowing 3.91 goals per game to rank second from the bottom in that stat. Neither goaltender on the roster appears to have much confidence at the moment, and any sort of early offensive thrust will have to have the team thinking, "Not this again," especially after the Cats ceded eight goals in the last game vs. in-state rival Tampa Bay.
TWO: Handle the top line. Dadanov-Barkov-Huberdeau has been one of the most dangerous trios in the league, with each topping over a point per game. The Blue Jackets have played some impressive trios thus far, with head coach John Tortorella liking to match his best line against the best, and it will likely be that way again in suburban Miami if the head coach gets his way.
THREE: Score a dang power-play goal. Just one. Something to get the team going. It has to happen. The power-play thing is hanging over the team, much as it did a year ago down the stretch when the Jackets seemingly couldn't buy a man-up marker. They still aren't available for purchase at Publix, but the Jackets need to manufacture one somehow just to take the pressure off. It should help Florida's PK percentage of 72.7 is third-worst in the NHL.
Team Projected Lineup
| # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 63 | Evgenii Dadanov | 11 GP, 6-8-14 | 16 | Aleksander Barkov | 11 GP, 4-10-14 | 11 | Jonathan Huberdeau | 11 GP, 5-9-14 |
| 88 | Jamie McGinn | 11 GP, 3-2-5 | 21 | Vincent Trocheck | 11 GP, 4-7-11 | 71 | Radim Vrbata | 11 GP, 3-6-9 |
| 50 | Chase Balisy | 2 GP, 0-0-0 | 27 | Nick Bjugstad | 11 GP, 2-5-7 | 74 | Owen Tippett | 6 GP 1-0-1 |
| 18 | Michael Haley | 11 GP, 0-1-1 | 17 | Derek MacKenzie | 11 GP, 0-1-1 | 62 | Denis Malgin | 4 GP 0-0-0 |
| # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Keith Yandle | 11 GP, 1-4-5 | 5 | Aaron Ekblad | 11 GP, 3-4-7 |
| 19 | Mike Matheson | 11 GP, 0-1-1 | 6 | Alex Petrovic | 8 GP, 0-2-2 |
| 12 | Ian Mccoshen | 10 GP, 1-0-1 | 13 | Mark Pysyk | 11 GP, 1-1-2 |
| # | Player | GP | W-L-OL | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34 | James Reimer | 8 | 3-3-1 | 3.70 | .898 | 0 |
| 31 | Antti Niemi | 1 | 0-1-0 | 4.30 | .889 | 0 |
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