Blue Jackets...Panthers...in March. Big game?
Hell yeah.
It may have seemed far-fetched in October, but here in late March, the race is ramping up and both the Blue Jackets and Panthers are doing their best to get into the dance. Columbus has won nine straight games, the second-longest winning streak in franchise history, while the Panthers are on a ridiculous tear since the All-Star break that's brought them from outsider to legitimate threat.
Tonight, they collide at Nationwide Arena.
Without a doubt, it's the biggest game of the season. It won't decide either team's playoff fate by any means, but a win by the Blue Jackets would put a stamp on what they've been doing and give them some serious leverage with eight games to play. They're five points clear of the playoff line with the Panthers charging hard, holding games in hand, and playing their best hockey of the season at the ideal time.
Boy, we're in a fun game.
You can bet that the Blue Jackets will bring their best. They've won their last nine and are getting excellent goaltending, balanced offense and have brought a sense of "F you" in each of these games, none more evident than Monday in Boston, when they were down and out but not dead. They rallied for an overtime win that none of us saw coming.
Seth Jones is, in all likelihood, going to be back in the lineup.
Sergei Bobrovsky is on top of his game.
Artemi Panarin is leading the way offensively for the Blue Jackets, who have seemingly eschewed their goal-scoring issues during this nine-game bender and seem bent on barging their way into the postseason. Boone Jenner is rejuvenated, Thomas Vanek has provided a spark and Markus Nutivaara doesn't plan on giving John Tortorella any reason to take him out of the lineup.
It's a best-case scenario for the Blue Jackets, but they haven't yet been tested like they will be tonight. And that's a good thing.
YOU SHOULD BE READING
- Have you heard? We're giving away 1OB swag to one site user who correctly guesses tonight's first Blue Jackets goal scorer. Get to it, before it's too late.
- In this week's Heat Check...you guessed it. It's all about Artemi Panarin.
- Dan Dukart put together a wonderful assessment of the William Karlsson Situation, as we're going to call it. Should you hate the Blue Jackets for letting him go? Probably not.
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