Game Preview: Blue Jackets Complete Back-To-Back With Tuesday Night Tango Against Predators

It's the second half of a back-to-back Tuesday night when the Columbus Blue Jackets (30-21-8) welcome the Nashville Predators (27-25-8) to town for their only trip of the season to the Ohio capital.

The Blue Jackets are 1-1-1 since the return from the Olympic break, with the win coming Monday night in a wild, 5-4 victory that saw Columbus blow a four-goal lead in the third before securing two points in overtime.

“A couple of harsh reminders out there of how to play the game the right way and with the right level of desperation that was missing at certain times,” head coach Rick Bowness said after the game.

”But give the guys credit, they found a way to get the two points and that’s the most important thing. Did we make it far more interesting than we should have? Yeah, we did.”

The win put the Blue Jackets three points outside of the last wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Predators, meanwhile, sit four points back of a postseason spot in the Western Conference and are equally hungry for points.

Here are five things to know before the 7:00 p.m. puck-drop:

• Like the Blue Jackets, this is also the second day of a back-to-back for the Predators. They lost 4-2 on home ice to the Detroit Red Wings on Monday afternoon. ... Juuse Saros started that game, which puts Justus Annunen in line for the start against the Blue Jackets. He's 6-7-2 this season with a 3.16 goals against average and .885 save percentage. ... The Predators have connected with a power play game in all three of their games since the Olympic break ended, but have had to overcome ten penalty kills in those three games, as well. 
   
• Jet Greaves is projected to get the start Tuesday. He was shaky Saturday night in Columbus' 4-3 overtime loss to the New York Islanders, giving up four goals on 26 shots. Still, the Blue Jackets have points in Greaves' last seven decisions (6-0-1) and he has an above-average 2.65 goals against average on the season to pair with his .908 save percentage.
   
• After missing Monday night's game with an illness, Zach Werenski is also questionable in this game. If he goes, he'll have a chance at what would be a career-high point streak of ten games. This is already his second nine-game point streak of the season, and this time around he has two goals and 11 assists for a total of 13 points. Werenski ranks second amongst defenseman in goals (20) and points (65). 
   
• Kirill Marchenko and Adam Fantilli are undoubtedly the hottest Jackets coming out of the break. Fantilli has three goals in three games — one in each game — while Marchenko also has three in that same span, including the multi-goal effort Monday night. Combined, they have six of the Blue Jackets' 10 goals since the break.
   
• There was no on-ice activity Tuesday before the game, so lineups won't be revealed until later in the day. Here are the complete lineup projections based on Monday night's game, though changes are certainly possible: