The Columbus Blue Jackets take on the Vegas Golden Knights in the first-ever game between the two teams. The Golden Knights are the top team in the league and nearly impossible to beat at home.
For a team facing an uphill battle in January, this game provides a massive test for the Blue Jackets.
Offensively, the Golden Knights are dynamic and come in waves. They will test the Blue Jackets and make it a difficult night. Whether Columbus can counter with will be the real key to the game.
VIDEO: John Tortorella
Blue Jackets Projected Lineup
| # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Artemi Panarin | 47 GP, 12-26-38 | 18 | Pierre-Luc Dubois | 47 GP, 10-12-22 | 77 | Josh Anderson | 45 GP, 14-10-24 |
| 38 | Boone Jenner | 40 GP, 4-8-12 | 10 | Alexander Wennberg | 33 GP, 4-12-16 | 28 | Oliver Bjorkstrand | 47 GP, 8-18-26 |
| 11 | Matt Calvert | 35 GP, 5-9-14 | 36 | Jussi Jokinen | 1 GP, 0-0-0 | 71 | Nick Foligno | 47 GP, 9-9-18 |
| 64 | Tyler Motte | 30 GP, 3-2-5 | 45 | Lukas Sedlak | 34 GP, 4-3-7 | 14 | Jordan Schroeder | 19 GP, 1-1-2 |
| # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Zach Werenski | 43 GP, 11-10-21 | 3 | Seth Jones | 47 GP, 8-22-30 |
| 7 | Jack Johnson | 47 GP, 2-5-7 | 58 | David Savard | 46 GP, 2-6-8 |
| 4 | Scott Harrington | 25 GP, 1-2-3 | 65 | Markus Nutivaara | 40 GP, 2-13-15 |
| # | Player | GS | W-L-OL | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 72 | Sergei Bobrovsky | 38 | 21-14-3 | 2.43 | .920 | 4 |
| 70 | Joonas Korpisalo | 9 | 5-4-0 | 2.85 | .912 | 0 |
Three Storylines
- Wild Bill's Renaissance: For any Blue Jackets fan this is obviously the top storyline. William Karlsson left the Blue Jackets during the NHL expansion draft and has been tearing it up playing with the Golden Knights. He looks like a completely different player in that situation, and it has left many scorned. It will be interesting to see how he performs against the Blue Jackets and what the strategy will be to defend him.
- Defending the First Wave: The Golden Knights have a distinct home-ice advantage. The team just doesn't lose at home. So when they come at the Blue Jackets, they'll need to defend tightly before the team runs roughshod over them. With many offensively focused forwards, it shouldn't come as a surprise that they score in bunches. Make it through the first period unscathed and try to regroup.
- Finding The Weakness: The Golden Knights bottom-six isn't anything scary. It is like most bottom-six lineups in the league. Filled with grinders and players that can pitch in when needed. The Blue Jackets might be able to find an advantage here if they can match lines well. Tortorella doesn't match lines, and it is even harder on the road, but they have an opportunity.
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