After winning their past nine consecutive games, the Blue Jackets return home from a two-game road trip to take on the surging Florida Panthers. The Panthers are playing effective and desperate hockey, but a Columbus win would put the Cats in a tough spot as they inch closer to April.
MATCHUP:
Florida Panthers at Columbus Blue Jackets
Nationwide Arena, 7:00 p.m.
TV: Fox Sports Ohio
WHAT TO WATCH FOR:
- The Panthers are built somewhat like the Blue Jackets, with a dominant goalie (Roberto Luongo), a workhorse defenseman (Aaron Ekblad), and a dominant, game-breaking forward (Aleksander Barkov). Barkov is the kind of player who deserves much more attention than he garners, and is one of the top two-way players in the league. Consider that he starts just 40.9% of zone starts in the offensive zone (a career-low), yet he's tallied 26 goals and 73 points (a career-high). As good as Artemi Panarin has been (and he's been incredible), Barkov has put up better numbers at a harder position with less favorable zone starts. Stud.
- The Blue Jackets won't have the opportunity to clinch a playoff spot tonight, but a win would go a long way in widening the gap between the Panthers and the Jackets. The Panthers enter the game six points back but with three games in hand, meaning that if the Panthers win the games in hand, they'll have the upper hand in the playoff race. The Columbus has put distance between themselves and the field, a win here would all but guarantee a playoff spot for the Blue Jackets.
- Since their inception, the Blue Jackets haven't exactly been a model of post-season success. Therefore, I take great pleasure in being one of the privileged few who is able to write this sentence - or one similar to it - for the first time in the history of the English language: The Blue Jackets are playing a huge home game in late March against the Florida Panthers on a Thursday night. If you're looking to jump on the bandwagon, I see no time better than the present. Join us, won't you?
TALE OF THE TAPE:
Panthers
37-27-7 (4th in Atlantic Division)
PP: 19.4% (21st) / PK: 81.2% (13th)
5v5 Corsi: 49.3% (19th)
BLUE JACKETS
41-28-5 (3rd in Metropolitan Division)
PP: 15.3% (30th) / PK: 77.0% (25th)
5v5 Corsi: 51.6% (7th)
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