Game Preview: Blue Jackets, Bolts Meet For The Final Time This Season As Columbus Seeks First Road Win In Five Weeks

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

24-13-1 (49 points; .645%) ROSTER / SCHEDULE

7:00 P.M. – MONDAY, JANUARY 10 AMALIE ARENA TAMPA, FL

TELEVISION: Bally Sports Ohio ESPN+ (Out Of Market)

December 2nd, 2022.

That is the date of the Columbus Blue Jackets last road win, an impressive 4-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets.

Since then, the Blue Jackets are 0-9-0 when away from Nationwide Arena — a place they won't be Tuesday night when Columbus battles the Tampa Bay Lightning for the final time this season.

The first two games were not kind to Brad Larsen's bunch; Columbus' home opener was spoiled with a 5-2 loss to Tampa, and the Blue Jackets lost by another three-goal margin last month when the Lightning won 4-1 in front of their home crowd. It was the fourth game in Columbus' nine-game road skid.

The ninth and most recent game, a 1-0 shutout loss to the Washington Capitals on Sunday, was one of Columbus' better efforts this season. They outshot the Caps 38-19 and were dominant in most statistical categories, but fell victim to hot goaltending.

Here's what to know when the Blue Jackets and Lightning meet at Amalie Arena to conclude their 2022-23 series:

TALKING POINTS: BOLTS

• The Lightning are still an excellent team and one with the potential to make a deep playoff run, but they're not as indestructible as they were for their run of back-to-back Stanley Cup wins. Their .645 point percentage is the lowest since the 2016-17 season, and the 2.92 goals against average is the highest since 2012-13.
   
• One example of the cracks in the Tampa armor? Being outscored 9-3 in their last two games in losses to the Minnesota Wild (5-1) and Winnipeg Jets (4-2). It was the fourth time this season the Lightning lost consecutive games — something they only did five times last season, and this season isn't even half over.
   
• While a few players have left via free agency and cap causalities, the core of Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Victor Hedman, and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy remain. Kucherov leads the team in assists (41) and points (55), while Point is the leading goal scorer (22). 
   
• Stamkos, meanwhile, is part of one of the most efficient lines in the NHL. Of all forward trios with at least four hours of ice time, Stamkos' — flanked by Alex Killorn and Nick Paul — ranks fifth with 4.34 goals per 60 minutes. Point, Kucherov, and Brandon Hagel are also top ten, with their 3.78 goals per 60 checking in at ninth. 

CBJ STORYLINES

• KEEP PLAYING LIKE SUNDAY
  The Blue Jackets played well enough to win Sunday against the Capitals. MoneyPuck's Deserve To Win O'Meter — which is more advanced than the name suggests — indicates that Columbus wins Sunday's game about 70% of the time. Losing is never fun, but competitive losses like Sunday's are a good way for a young team to learn the little things needed to win.
   
• CONSISTENTLY KENT
  Kent Johnson's ice time the last five games has been about as consistent as that of a goalie: 13:53, 13:20, 13:25, 13:30, and most recently, 13:28. He had a pair of assists in Saturday's shootout victory over the Carolina Hurricanes but has otherwise been quiet during the stretch. It might sound like a broken record to the 5th Line at this point, but more ice time is probably beneficial for the 20-year-old. 
   
• ELVIS' BEST
  With 18 saves on 19 shots against a potent Washington offense, Sunday was a rare solid performance from Elvis Merzlikins. His .947 save percentage in the game was his second-best outing of the season. The club has a lot of money tied up in Elvis over the next half decade, so any progress is key — and Sunday definitely seemed to be a sign of progress. 
   

PROJECTED LINES
Updated: 7:05 a.m. // Subject to Change