Game Preview: Lineup To Be Determined As Blue Jackets, Bruins Set for Pivotal Sunday Showdown

In what might have been one of their most complete games of the season, the Columbus Blue Jackets (40-28-12, 92 points) picked up a decisive, 5-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night.

But the work is just beginning.

Attention is now on Sunday's game, the penultimate of the regular season, when the Boston Bruins (43-27-10, 96 points) visit Nationwide Arena.

It's a game that's all but a must-win for the Blue Jackets, who trail the Philadelphia Flyers by two points for the final playoff spot available in the Eastern Conference.

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If they can win Sunday and then in the finale Tuesday against the Washington Capitals, the Blue Jackets will need just one regulation loss for the Flyers in their last two games (or two overtime losses) to clinch a first-round playoff series against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

But that's a Monday worry. For today, it's all about the Blue Jackets, who will certainly look to repeat last night's performance.

"(It's) probably one of the best games we’ve played all year,” head coach Rick Bowness said. “That’s how we want to play. We were solid defensively, we spent a lot of time in their zone, created a lot of good scoring chances off the forecheck."

Here are five other things to know before the 6:00 p.m. puck-drop on fan appreciation night:

• Boston comes to Columbus on a five-game losing streak, going 0-3-2 so far in April. The latest loss was Saturday, a 2-1 defeat to the Tampa Bay Lightning. But, as a result of the Detroit Red Wings loss, the Bruins clinched a playoff spot anyway. They'll be in a wild card spot. ... Jeremy Swayman started Saturday, so while there is an official announcement yet, it's highly likely that former Blue Jacket Joonas Korpisalo gets the start Sunday. His season line is shaky: 13-9-6 with a 3.19 goals against average and .892 save percentage. But he's allowed just three total goals in his last two starts, stopping 46 of 48 shots in those games. He also was phenomenal in his last start against the Blue Jackets, stopping 36 of 38 in a Bruins win on Feb. 26. ... James Hagens, the seventh overall draft pick last season, will make his NHL debut in this game for the Bruins.
   
• Jet Greaves has been named the starter by head coach Rick Bowness. Bones has relied heavily on down the stretch, and this will be his fourth time this season starting back-to-back games. Greaves is 2-0-1 in the first three with 87 total saves on 94 total shots for a .926 save percentage.
   
• Zach Werenski picked up the primary assist on the first goal scored Saturday, tying the franchise record for most assists in a single season with 59. Werenski did it last season, and Artemi Panarin did it in 2018-19. Z's next assist will break the record and his next point in any form will tie his career high in points (82), which he also set last season.
   
• Two players who got off the schneid Saturday night were Kirill Marchenko and Sean Monahan. Marchenko's sweet goal was his first in five games and just his second time finding the net in the last 14. As for Monahan, he had been held without a point in 11 straight games before the goal, which was his first since March 3.
   
• The Blue Jackets are not on the ice at all Sunday, so it will be later in the day before we find out what — if any — changes there will be to the lineup. Don't expect much though, especially for the forwards. All four lines were rolling Saturday night. Here are the complete lineup projections: