The Columbus Blue Jackets come back from their extended break and now have back-to-back games to contend with. This time they face off against a Montreal Canadiens team that is sliding down the standings.
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| MONTREAL CANADIENS |
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24–22–7 (55 points) ROSTER / SCHEDULE |
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2 P.M. – SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2 BELL CENTRE MONTREAL,QC,CA |
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FOX SPORTS OHIO FOX SPORTS GO |
The Blue Jackets were only able to get a point from their matchup against the Buffalo Sabres yesterday. But given the sleepy nature of the game, it shouldn't be a surprise that there was a tiny bit of rust.
Over the past week the Canadiens played three games and won two of them in convincing fashion. While they are a team below the Blue Jackets in the standings, they could play spoiler with names like Ilya Kovalchuk and Shea Weber in their lineup.
Here's a look at tonight's projected lines for the Blue Jackets:
Forwards
Foligno–Dubois–Bjorkstrand
Nyquist–Wennberg–Atkinson
Gerbe–Jenner–Bemstrom
Lilja–Nash–Robinson
Defenseman
Werenski–Jones
Gavrikov–Savard
Nutivaara–Harrington
Goalie: Merzlikins
Storylines
- Yes, Rust. We talked about it momentarily yesterday in our preview, but there was a substantial amount of rust. Against a team like the Buffalo Sabres, the Blue Jackets should have been able to pick up two points then move on. But unfortunately they weren't able to get both points, it will be critical to do so against a Montreal team that is sliding down the standings.
- Elvis Magic. The Blue Jackets put Matiss Kivlenieks in net against the Sabres and they once again saw a solid result from the netminder. The question now becomes whether or not Elvis can pick up where he left off and be the all-world goaltender he was before the break. If he can, the Blue Jackets are truly going to have a special season.
- Forward Picks. The Blue Jackets are getting healthy and are doing so quickly. Reportedly Josh Anderson is close to returning and that is going to be another tough decision for Columbus as they need to decide who to take out of the lineup when the time comes. For now, they get to see how the players do against opponents that are in the bottom half of the league. They should use it as a mini-scouting process of their own.
