Game Day #57: Elvis Gets The Start When Blue Jackets Host Stars Tuesday Night

The Columbus Blue Jackets kick off a huge week with a tough test Tuesday night as they face the Dallas Stars.

It's the first of three games for the Blue Jackets this week, one which culminates with Saturday night's Stadium Series showdown against the Detroit Red Wings. The two teams also meet Thursday night in Detroit.

But first things first for Columbus: The Stars are third in the NHL in points percentage and are 8-1-1 in their last ten, a tall task for a team in the middle of an unexpected playoff push.

The push was boosted with a win over the Chicago Blackhawks Saturday, but despite the four-goal win, the Blue Jackets saw areas for improvement.

“If we want to get to where we want to go, we have to play better than that,” said Zach Werenski following the game. Forward Kent Johnson echoed similar sentiments, saying guys can "sharpen up" following the two-week break.

Dallas will provide Columbus a chance to do just that, with a win on home ice over one of the elites in the NHL sure to provide a big jolt of confidence. 

Here's what else to know when the Blue Jackets and Stars conclude their season series:

• RE: STARS
  Dallas comes in hot, having won Saturday and Sunday on the road against the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders. This is their final game of six straight on the road, dating back to before the 4 Nations break. In fact, Dallas' last home: their win over the Blue Jackets back on Feb. 2nd. ... The Stars are one of three teams in the NHL who are top five in both goals for and goals allowed; the Winnipeg Jets and Washington Capitals are the others. ... Former Blue Jacket Matt Duchene is having a career year, leading the Stars in assists and points. He's also tied with Jason Robertson for the team lead in goals. 
   
• Z'S NEARING THE ALL-TIME RECORD
  With points in 22 straight home games, Werenski is now tied for the third-longest home point streak by a defenseman in NHL history — and with a point Tuesday night, he can climb to within two of tying Bobby Orr's all-time record of 25. He's already got a career high in points and is on pace to break Artemi Panarin's all-time franchise record of 87 points in a season. Is there anything this guy can't do?
   
• JOHNSON IS ROLLIN'
  Kent Johnson is having a breakout season. He's already set a career high in goals and has points in 10 of his last 11 games. He's third in the NHL at 1.53 goals per 60 minutes in 5-on-5 play, trailing only Tage Thompson (1.88) and Alex Ovechkin (1.63). The closest Blue Jacket in that category is Kirill Marchenko, at 1.09. He's doing all this while averaging just 1.4 shots per game, seventh-highest on the team.
   
• LINEUPS & PROJECTIONS
  While several Blue Jackets out with injuries are skating this week (Sean Monahan, Erik Gudbranson, and Yegor Chinakhov), none are quite ready to return to the lineup. No lineup changes are expected tonight from Saturday's win, so here are the lineup projections: