The Columbus Blue Jackets lineup is in flux right now due to injuries and it is going to thrust certain players into roles that they haven't yet played.
Pierre-Luc Dubois appears to be moving to center and it looks like newly minted call-up Jordan Schroeder will join him down the middle as well. Who exactly those two center will be a compelling storyline to watch throughout the night.
Sonny Milano also appears to be back in the lineup and will be playing on the second power-play unit. Where he slots at even strength is a rough estimate at the moment.
Add the fact that the Montreal Canadiens are on their third-string goalie, there is a chance that tonight's game is a wild one.
VIDEO: John Tortorella
Blue Jackets Projected Lineup
| # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Artemi Panarin | 18 GP, 3-10-13 | 71 | Nick Foligno | 18 GP, 3-5-8 | 28 | Oliver Bjorkstrand | 18 GP, 5-6-11 |
| 38 | Boone Jenner | 11 GP, 2-4-6 | 17 | Brandon Dubinsky | 18 GP, 2-4-6 | 13 | Cam Atkinson | 14 GP, 4-1-5 |
| 64 | Tyler Motte | 7 GP, 2-1-3 | 18 | Pierre-Luc Dubois | 18 GP, 2-2-4 | 77 | Josh Anderson | 16 GP, 6-3-9 |
| 22 | Sonny Milano | 15 GP, 5-3-8 | 14 | Jordan Schroeder | 0 GP, 0-0-0 | 37 | Markus Hannikainen | 9 GP, 2-2-4 |
| # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Zach Werenski | 18 GP, 4-6-10 | 3 | Seth Jones | 18 GP, 3-9-12 |
| 7 | Jack Johnson | 18 GP, 1-3-4 | 58 | David Savard | 18 GP, 2-4-6 |
| 27 | Ryan Murray | 18 GP, 1-3-4 | 65 | Markus Nutivaara | 13 GP, 0-5-5 |
| # | Player | GS | W-L-OL | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 72 | Sergei Bobrovsky | 14 | 9-4-1 | 2.24 | .925 | 1 |
| 70 | Joonas Korpisalo | 4 | 1-3-0 | 3.28 | .896 | 0 |
Three Storylines
- Missing Wennberg: It has been increasingly clear that Alex Wennberg has been injured for a portion of this season. It isn't to say that it excuses some of his most recent play but it gives an explanation for some wondering what has been going on. He still may play against the Montreal Canadiens but he missed the practice leading up to Tuesday's affair and it seems unlikely that he would enter the lineup.
- Schroeder Enters: Before Zac Dalpe went onto IR, it had appeared that he had fallen out of favor with head coach John Tortorella for the penalty he took against the New York Rangers. It had caused that 11F/7D formation and now that they have another forward up, it will be interesting to see how they utilize him. An impactful bottom-six has been missing from the Blue Jackets this season.
- Don't Let Up: An odd trend for the Blue Jackets has been playing up or down to their competition. The Canadiens are a few players down and are one of the team's near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. Taking advantage of a team in this position is important for teams with high aspirations.
"Look at how hard we play against the elite teams in the league. We have to start realizing we're one of them, and that's not to be arrogant. It's just the reality of what we've grown into here. Be proud of that, but know how hard it is to win," said forward Nick Foligno to the media.
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