The Columbus Blue Jackets faceoff against the Florida Panthers tonight looking to extend a 10-game point streak in Sergei Bobrovsky's return to Nationwide Arena.
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20–13–5 (45 points) ROSTER / SCHEDULE |
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7 P.M. – Tuesday, December 31st COLUMBUS, OH |
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FOX SPORTS OHIO FOX SPORTS GO |
The Blue Jackets are coming off a devastating 2-1 overtime loss against Chicago, mostly so because of the loss of their starting goaltender, Joonas Korpisalo, to injury. While it's a big loss to the team, the Blue Jackets have shown they can overcome injury so far this season. The Columbus club will look overcome this adversity and capture a point in their 11th straight game.
After a shaky start to the season, the Florida Panthers find themselves in a playoff spot in the tough Atlantic division. They'll likely pose a great challenge to the injury-riddled Blue Jacket roster.
The Blue Jackets and Panthers have met once so far this season in early December, the Panthers winning in convincing fashion, 4-1.
Here's a look at tonight's projected lines for the Blue Jackets:
Forwards
Texier-Dubois-Robinson
Foligno-Wennberg-Gerbe
Nyquist-Jenner-Stenlund
Lilja-Nash-MacInnis
Defenseman
Werenski-Jones
Gavrikov-Savard
Kukan–Harrington
Starter: Elvis Merzlikins
Storylines
- Elvis in the Building. With Joonas Korpisalo's injury, Elvis Merzlikins is slated to make his first start in Nationwide Arena. Merzlikins will also look for his first NHL win.
- Bob's Back. Merzlikins will have to face off against Sergie Bobrovsky in his first game back in Nationwide Arena after signing a 7-year contract with Florida in July. Bobrovsky served as the backbone of the Blue Jackets roster for 7 seasons before leaving last summer.
- 10-Game Point Streak. The Blue Jackets, despite their injury problems, are on a 10-game point streak, their longest of the season. Every point is crucial in an NHL season, but they are even more important to the Blue Jacket team amidst absences due to injury.
