Game Day #41: Blue Jackets, Penguins Clash In Most Meaningful Game Between The Division Rivals In Years

Don't let the calendar fool you: Tuesday's night game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Pittsburgh Penguins has meaning.

The games count the same in January as they will in April and for two teams separated by just one point and battling for a wild card spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, every point will help — or hurt — the chance of playing postseason games.

“Right now, our goal is to get better as a team and to make the playoffs," said defenseman Ivan Provorov. "Whether it’s a wild card or even better.”

It may still seem unlikely (or just plain hard to believe) that the Blue Jackets are heading for the postseason, but this game — Columbus' 41st of the season and their official midway point — could catapult them into the final wild card spot as the second half of the season starts.

Math doesn't lie.

To get there, they'll need a win tonight in Pittsburgh. It's a place that Columbus has not won in since Nov. 13, 2015 — a span of 3,342 days and 15 chances at a win. 

The Blue Jackets are 0-10-5 during the streak.

Here's what else to know when the Blue Jackets and Penguins meet in PA for the first time this season:

• RE: PENS
  Tristan Jarry is in net for Pittsburgh. He's 8-6-3 this season with a 3.47 goals against average and .886 save percentage. ... The Penguins were 0-3 on the power play Sunday in Carolina, ending a five-game streak in which they'd connected on the man-advantage. They were 9 of 19 in those five games. ... Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are 37 and 38 years old, respectively, but they're still getting it done: Neither have missed a game this season and have combined for 19 goals (Crosby 11, Malkin 8) and 55 assists (Crosby 31, Malkin 24) though 41 games each.
   
• BACK TO 12 & 6
  A few days after his wife gave birth to a healthy baby girl, Kevin Labanc draws back into the lineup and that puts the Blue Jackets back in a traditional 12 forward/6 defensemen set. He has two goals and 10 assists in 27 games this season. This will be his first game since December 17th.
   
• RECORD PACES
  Zach Werenski has 45 points in 40 games. Kirill Marchenko has 43 points in the same number of games. If they both stay healthy and keep that pace, Werenski will finish with 92 points and Marchenko with 88. Both of those would beat Artemi Panarin's franchise record of 87 points.
   
• LINEUPS & PROJECTIONS
  With Labanc back in and 12 forwards for the first time in a couple of weeks, that means it's back to six defensemen for Columbus. Jack Johnson and Jake Christiansen are in as the third-pairing, while Jordan Harris and Damon Severson are healthy scratches. Here are the complete projections: