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| CAROLINA HURRICANES |
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6-2-0 (12 points) ROSTER / SCHEDULE |
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3:00 P.M. – SUNDAY, FEB. 7 NATIONWIDE ARENA COLUMBUS, OH |
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FOX SPORTS OHIO FOX SPORTS GO |
Before The Big Game, the Blue Jackets have themselves...a big game.
It's time for them to get going, and find some consistency in their game. They've played more games than almost every team in their division, and the top teams in the Central Division seem allergic to losing. the Hurricanes enter Sunday's game at 6-2-0, one point behind the Blue Jackets but with four (!) games in hand. It behooves Columbus to get on the right side of a streak before they get left behind.
The good news for the Blue Jackets? In their last outing, a 4-3 win over the Dallas Stars on Thursday, their top players started to find the net. Cam Atkinson scored (the 200th of his NHL career), Jack Roslovic scored, Patrik Laine scored, and so did Oliver Bjorkstrand. That's pretty much the ideal offensive night for John Tortorella, who vowed Saturday that future lineup decisions will be merit-based.
The time for "waiting for top guys to get going" appears to be over.
Columbus will, however, be without defenseman Zach Werenski, who was injured in Thursday's game and didn't play the final four-plus minutes of regulation with what appeared to be a lower-body ailment. Tortorella has a decision to make on who will slot in on the back end as the defense pairs get shuffled. Joonas Korpisalo and Matiss Kivlenieks are likely to split this back-to-back in goal with Elvis Merzlikins sidelined and on injured reserve.
Columbus Blue Jackets Projected Lines
| LW | C | RW | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | Patrik Laine | 96 | Jack Roslovic | 13 | Cam Atkinson |
| 16 | Max Domi | 42 | Alexandre Texier | 28 | Oliver Bjorkstrand |
| 71 | Nick Foligno | 20 | Riley Nash | 50 | Eric Robinson |
| 38 | Boone Jenner | 9 | Mikko Koivu | 19 | Liam Foudy |
| LD | RD | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 46 | Dean Kukan | 3 | Seth Jones |
| 44 | Vladislav Gavrikov | 58 | David Savard |
| 4 | Scott Harrington | 15 | Michael Del Zotto |
| Goalie | Backup | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | Joonas Korpisalo | 80 | Matiss Kivlenieks |
STORYLINES
- KEEP BUILDING: The Blue Jackets' scoring four goals on Thursday should be an encouraging sign on its own, but one game does not a season make. They need contributions up and down their lineup, and it appears Tortorella is trying to spread the offense throughout his newest iteration of forward lines. If they can get to a place where offense comes from 2-3 lines, consistently, they'll be in a much better spot. Right now, it's been sporadic at best.
- SHUFFLE ON D: Losing Werenski is a tough one, no matter how long he's out of the lineup. The Blue Jackets love getting their defense involved offensively, and Werenski is one of the league's best at generating opportunities with his ability to rove. A lot will be asked of Dean Kukan on the No. 1 pair alongside Jones, but he's played well early in the season albeit in a limited role.
- START ON TIME: Afternoon games can be a toss-up. The team that wakes up first usually has the better day, and the Blue Jackets have to get going early. The Hurricanes are a fast, aggressive team that can get you on your heels, and the best way to combat that is for the Blue Jackets to be on the front foot out of the gate.
