Game Day #46: Tarasov Starts As Blue Jackets Look For Longest Winning Streak In Nearly Seven Years

Can the Columbus Blue Jackets find themselves in seventh heaven?

A win Saturday night over the New York Rangers would make it seven straight victories for the Jackets, which would be the club's longest winning streak since March 2018, when they won ten in a row.

More than just continuing the streak, this is a game that will help shape the wild card race in the Eastern Conference. Columbus is currently in the top wild card spot, but the Rangers are just five points behind with one game in hand. There are six teams between the Blue Jackets' 50 points and the Rangers 45, making all of these bouts imperative — even in January. 

For Columbus, they'll turn to Daniil Tarasov in net. After extremely limited action over the last two months, Tarasov won his first start since October when the Blue Jackets defeated the Philadelphia Flyers in a shootout Tuesday night. Tarasov was a key part of that victory and will look to repeat that performance Saturday night.

Here's what else to know Columbus makes their first trip of the season to the Big Apple:

• RE: BLUESHIRTS
  Igor Shesterkin is the Rangers starter Saturday night. He's won three of his last four games in net while allowing three or less goals in all four starts. For the season, Shesterkin is 14-15-2 — but that's more reflective of the Rangers offensive struggles. The 29-year-old netminder has a .907 save percentage and 2.97 goals against average this season. ... The Rangers have been in close games night and in night out over the last week and change, having played overtime in three of their last five games. Another game was a one-goal game and the fifth — their 5-3 victory in Utah on Thursday night — needed an empty-netter in the final minute to make it a two-goal lead. 
   
• SHOULD BE SOME OPPS
  The Rangers are near the bottom of the league in shots allowed, at 31.2 per game. They're also near the bottom in allowing high-danger shots (27th, at 103), so there should be chances for Columbus' offense to get the puck in the net. The Blue Jackets rank 5th in high-danger shots on goal, at 105. 
   
• LINEUPS & PROJECTIONS
  A nearly identical lineup to the one from Thursday, but the Blue Jackets official X (formerly Twitter) account flipped Cole Sillinger and Luca Del Bel Belluz at the middle six center position, putting Sillinger back on the "second" line with James van Riemsdyk and Kent Johnson.
  
  Here are the complete projections: