The Blue Jackets are looking to rebound after a disappointing loss to the Flyers as they take on the Edmonton Oilers at home.
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| EDMONTON OILERS |
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8–4–1 (17 points) ROSTER / SCHEDULE |
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7:30 P.M. – WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30 NATIONWIDE ARENA COLUMBUS, OH |
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FOX SPORTS OHIO FOX SPORTS GO |
The Oilers are 1-3-1 in their last five games, but the Jackets cannot sleep on them. Regardless of their current struggle to pick up points the Oilers still have star power in Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid and the resurgent James Neal who have been forces to be reckoned with early in the season and a large part of the Oilers' success.
Meanwhile, the Jackets' defense has struggled early in the season allowing opposing teams opportunities in high-scoring areas. If the Jackets want to slow down the Oilers offense, they will need to tighten up and limit their defensive breakdowns. Additionally, the Jackets are not likely to be a high-scoring team this season, putting more pressure on the underperforming defensive unit.
Here's a look at tonight's projected lines for the Blue Jackets:
Forwards
Foligno–Dubois–Atkinson
Nyquist–Wennberg–Bjorkstrand
Milano–Jenner–Anderson
Lilja–Nash–Bemstrom
Defenseman
Werenski–Jones
Nutivaara–Savard
Gavrikov–Kukan
Goalies: Korpisalo
Extras: Harrington
Storylines
- Special Teams. To say the Blue Jackets' special teams play has let the club down so far this season is...an understatement. The power play is the topic du jour after a listless 0-for-5 showing in Philadelphia on Saturday. In order to turn things around, the Jackets need to get the power play running and there is no time like the present to get it going.
- Secondary Scoring. Boone Jenner and Josh Anderson found the back of the net on Saturday, and in order to stay on the right side of .500, the Jackets need that supplementary offense to continue throughout the season. They don't have a top line that's filling the net, so goals will need to come from just about everywhere.
- Slop. Saturday's game could only be described as a sloppy game by anyone who wore the Columbus sweater. Against a team like the Oilers, who can change the game on a dime due to their offense, the Jackets will need to tighten up and keep the puck out of high-scoring areas. How they manage the puck–efficiently or poorly–may dictate the outcome tonight.
