The Columbus Blue Jackets don't ever play well against the Carolina Hurricanes. At least not in recent memory. They are difficult due to their depth and the amount of puck-moving defensemen they have. Will a new year bring new results?
Though middling in the standings, the Hurricanes are a tough out. Playing structured and allowing your playmakers to make some plays is going to be crucial. The time and space isn't going to be there. Something has to give.
PROJECTED LINES:
Panarin – Dubois – Atkinson
Duclair – Wennberg – Anderson
Hannikainen – Jenner – Bjorkstrand
Sedlak – Dubinsky – Nash
DEFENSEMEN:
Werenski – Jones
Murray – Nutivaara
Harrington – Savard
GOALTENDER:
Bobrovsky
Storylines:
- The Blue Jackets will once again be without forward Nick Foligno. He is with his five-year-old daughter after undergoing surgery. It isn't immediately clear when Foligno will come back into the lineup.
- The power play is still rancid. They are on a near historically bad streak. In their last nine games, they only have one power-play goal.
- As always with the Hurricanes, they have almost no goaltending at all. They have Curtis McElhinney and Petr Mrazek in between the pipes. Neither is giving them a strong product and if they can have a consistent netminder, they can go up in the standings.
