A quick turnaround for a rematch should get the Blue Jackets fired up for their game against the New Jersey Devils.
In their first match of the season, the Devils took it to the Blue Jackets and showed off their speed. Their first line of Taylor Hall-Nico Hischier-Jesper Bratt proved to be too much for a Blue Jackets team that isn't lacking in skill. The Blue Jackets looked outmatched for one of the first times this season.
Head coach John Tortorella challenged his leadership group to step up and it should come to a head against the Devils. The power play has been non-existent and there is only one working forward line.
Something has to give and the Blue Jackets have a lot to prove to themselves.
VIDEO: John Tortorella
Blue Jackets Projected Lineup
| # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Artemi Panarin | 28 GP, 7-13-20 | 18 | Pierre-Luc Dubois | 28 GP, 4-7-11 | 77 | Josh Anderson | 26 GP, 10-7-17 |
| 11 | Matt Calvert | 16 GP, 4-5-9 | 17 | Brandon Dubinsky | 28 GP, 3-9-12 | 28 | Oliver Bjorkstrand | 28 GP, 5-10-15 |
| 71 | Nick Foligno | 28 GP, 6-6-11 | 10 | Alexander Wennberg | 22 GP, 1-9-10 | 13 | Cam Atkinson | 24 GP, 6-3-9 |
| 38 | Boone Jenner | 21 GP, 3-5-8 | 45 | Lukas Sedlak | 15 GP, 2-1-3 | 64 | Tyler Motte | 16 GP, 3-1-4 |
| # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Zach Werenski | 28 GP, 8-7-15 | 3 | Seth Jones | 28 GP, 3-11-14 |
| 7 | Jack Johnson | 28 GP, 1-4-5 | 58 | David Savard | 27 GP, 2-5-7 |
| 53 | Gabriel Carlsson | 10 GP, 0-1-1 | 4 | Scott Harrington | 6 GP, 0-0-0 |
| # | Player | GS | W-L-OL | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 72 | Sergei Bobrovsky | 22 | 14-7-1 | 2.11 | .929 | 3 |
| 70 | Joonas Korpisalo | 6 | 1-3-0 | 2.81 | .907 | 0 |
Three Storylines
- Who's In, Who's Out: John Tortorella stated that the Blue Jackets could see changes offensively and defensively. Markus Hannikainen and Markus Nutivaara could both enter the lineup. Between the two, the defense feels the most dire considering the speed needed to cover the Devils. The bottom pairing was exposed when on the ice in their last game against the Devils.
- Where Is The Advantage: Last morning skate I used this spot to talk about finding an advantage against the Devils and there was no advantage to be had in the game. In almost all facets the Devils outplayed the Blue Jackets. Looking at the tape wouldn't help because it would just be a bunch of plays that didn't go in the team's favor due to lost puck battles and lack of team speed. The Blue Jackets need to expose the Devils weaknesses and try to take advantage of their weak bottom-six.
- Wrangling In The Stars: Didn't even need to change the title on this one from the previous game. The Blue Jackets need to wrangle in the stars. Taylor Hall and Nico Hischier skated circles around everyone. The matchup of Brandon Dubinsky against that line wasn't the smartest move. Now that the Devils have last change they're likely to hammer home that matchup. Trying to find a capable offensive line against the Devils is where the team should start their focus for tonight's game.
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