Game Day #74: Jack Johnson In, Damon Severson Out, And Elvis In Net Thursday When Blue Jackets Battle Avalanche

Two more points are up for grabs Thursday night when the Columbus Blue Jackets battle the Colorado Avalanche in a 7:30 p.m. start at Nationwide Arena.

The Blue Jackets are making one change to the lineup, as veteran defenseman Jack Johnson is coming in for Damon Severson, who will be a healthy scratch for the fourth time this season.

Johnson, playing for the first time since March 21st, will be on the third pair opposite of Erik Gudbranson. 

Elvis Merzlikins will get the start in net. He's won his last three starts, but has allowed 13 goals in those games and 18 in his last four starts. For the season, Merzlikins is 25-19-5 with a 3.11 goals against and .894 save percentage. His 25 wins is just two off tying his career high.

As they all will be from here out, Thursday's contest is another one with huge playoff implications. 

Entering Thursday, the Blue Jackets were at 77 points and two points out of the final wild card spot. The Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers have 79 points each, though both teams have played more games than Columbus's 73: the Habs have played 74, and the Rangers 75.

Those games in hand mean that a Columbus win Thursday, combined with a Montreal loss Thursday night (New York is off), would put the Blue Jackets back into the second wild card spot.

Here's what else to know before another big one at Nationwide:

• RE: AVS
  Like the Predators were Tuesday, the Avalanche are coming to Columbus on the second half of a back-to-back. They were in Chicago last night, and as a result of severe weather were not able to leave for Columbus until today according to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. ... Mackenzie Blackwood has not officially been announced as the start, but is almost a lock to get the start with back-up Scott Wedgewood facing the Blackhawks last night. Blackwood is 27-18-6, has a 2.45 goals against average, and a .915 save percentage this season. ... Nathan MacKinnon won't hit the 140 points he had last season, but the Avs star has 30 goals and 81 assists for 111 points in another dominant season. Defenseman Cale Makar, competing with Zach Werenski for the Norris Trophy, "only" has 87 by comparison.
   
• MARCHENKO'S ON A HEATER
  Kirill Marchenko has six goals in four games since the return of Sean Monahan, including Tuesday's hat trick. This after scoring just one goal in ten games before Monahan rejoined the lineup last Monday. Marchenko became the first Blue Jacket since Cam Atkinson in the 2018-19 season to record 30 goals in a season and is now one of just four Blue Jackets (Atkinson, Rick Nash, and Tyler Wright) to record three hat tricks with Columbus. 
   
• BOONE'S HOT, TOO!
  His four-game goal-scoring streak came to an end Tuesday, but Boone Jenner's two-assist night made it five in a row with points. The captain has five goals and three assists for eight points over the last five contests, helping anchor the Blue Jackets top six.
   
• LINEUPS CHANGES & PROJECTIONS:
  Aside from the Johnson and Severson swap, there are no other lineup changes expected. Here are the complete lineup projections: