Feels like it's been forever, hasn't it?
After being off-duty since Sunday afternoon, the Columbus Blue Jackets finally return to the ice to take on the Rangers in New York tonight.
Some streaky play at the start of December plagued the Jackets once again, but the tail end of the month leading through the holidays was a great sign heading into the new year.
Columbus is 5-0-1 in their last six games, and have outscored their opponents 15-7 during that span, led by some absolutely stellar performances by goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.
PROJECTED LINES
Panarin – Dubois – Atkinson
Foligno – Jenner – Anderson
Bjorkstrand – Wennberg – Duclair
Hannikainen – Dubinsky – Nash
DEFENSEMEN
Murray – Jones
Werenski – Nutivaara
Harrington – Savard
GOALTENDER
Korpisalo
STORYLINES
- After catching fire in early-mid November where they won nine of 11 games, the New York Rangers have brutally cooled off since, losing ten of their past 13 games, while also being outscored 50-34. Not a good look, but also not surprising for a team who can't humble themselves to rebuild.
- Blue Jackets' forward Cam Atkinson is on pace to absolutely shatter the club record for goals in a season, which is currently being held by Rick Nash's 2003-2004 record of 41. Atkinson currently has 23 goals in 35 games and doesn't look to be slowing down - the veteran forward is on-track for 53 goals this season.
- Tonight surely had the potential to be a battle of two of the best goaltenders in the world, but the Blue Jackets' Joonas Korpisalo will be between the pipes, giving Sergei Bobrovsky a well-deserved rest after the past few weeks he's had. The Rangers' Henrik Lunqvist isn't having the most dominant season, and neither is Bobrovsky or Korpisalo (outside of the past couple weeks for Bob). Lundqvist is sitting on a .915 SV%, and Korpisalo at .885.
