The Blue Jackets are emptying the bench.
A couple of reasons stand out:
1. They have a bunch of guys who haven't played in a while, and they don't control their destiny tonight.
2. They can kind of control their destiny by losing.
So, they're sitting a host of regulars tonight against the Nashville Predators in Game 82 of the regular season. Joonas Korpisalo starts in goal, looking to bounce back from a shaky outing last weekend in Vancouver.
Eric Robinson, signed last month as a NCAA free agent from Princeton, makes his NHL debut. Defenseman Taylor Chorney, claimed off waivers from Washington earlier in the season, will make his Blue Jackets debut.
#CBJ Tortorella says Korpisalo will start, F Eric Robinson will make his #NHL debut, D Taylor Chorney will make his #CBJ debut and F Alex Broadhurst will play vs. #Preds
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) April 7, 2018
Alex Broadhurst, who played less than six minutes in his NHL debut earlier this week, gets another game.
Not much of a surprise here, but it sounds as though Artemi Panarin will be among those regulars sitting out this game for the Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky is obviously in that group, as well.
Torts confirms several #CBJ players will get the night off tonight for a couple of reasons. 1) to give guys whove been practicing hard a chance to play. 2) to rest some players like Bread whove worked to get team in playoffs.
— Dave Maetzold (@DMaetzMedia) April 7, 2018
It makes for an interesting night in Nashville; the Blue Jackets can fall into a wild card spot and face the Washington Capitals with a loss and a win by the Devils (or any difference of one point that favors New Jersey). They'll never say it, but avoiding the Pittsburgh Penguins is the way to go and tonight's lineup doesn't suggest otherwise.
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