One down, 81 more to go.
The Blue Jackets got things started with an overtime win against the Red Wings last night. They face what’s expected to be a much tougher opponent in the Carolina Hurricanes tonight in their home opener at Nationwide Arena; the Hurricanes added some new players, notably Dougie Hamilton and Andrei Svechnikov, but after one game they look like the same old Hurricanes: plenty of shots, but no finish.
Sergei Bobrovsky will get the start in net after sitting out the season opener.
Projected Lineup
Panarin-Dubois-Atkinson
Foligno-Wennberg-Bjorkstrand
Jenner-Dubinsky-Anderson
Milano-Nash-Duclair
Werenski-Savard
Murray-Nutivaara
Kukan-Carlsson
Storylines
- Anthony Duclair. The Duke was electric in his Blue Jackets debut. His top end speed and stickhandling capabilities were evident. He was integral in setting up the Jackets' second goal. This is a game where Duclair should thrive, as Carolina is full of young speedy players. Let’s see how Duclair’s legs are in a back to back.
- Andrei Svechnikov. He’s going to be overshadowed by Rasmus Dahlin all season, but he should not be overlooked. Svechnikov is an uber-talented player who likely goes No. 1 overall if he’s in another draft class. He had a wicked shot, scoring close to a goal per game in the OHL. His NHL debut didn’t quite go as planned, with three shots and hit a couple posts. The Blue Jackets will need to contain this sharp-shooting rookie.
- The third pair. Plain and simple, Gabriel Carlsson was not very good last night. He was late getting back on the Red Wings' first goal and then took a penalty leading to their second goal. The Jackets defense is in flux right now with Seth Jones out, and though they don’t need their depth defensemen to be world beaters, they just need them to hold the fort down and Carlsson couldn’t do it last night. He might get a chance to redeem himself in this one.
