When:7:00 PM ET, Thursday, October 19, 2017
Where:Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio


Preview: Lightning at Blue Jackets

Gracenote
Oct 18, 2017

The Columbus Blue Jackets allowed only 13 goals in six games to open the season and must produce another big defensive effort when they entertain the offensively gifted Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night. The Blue Jackets were tied for third in the league in goals-against (2.17) entering Wednesday after winning at Winnipeg 5-2 on Tuesday for their fourth consecutive victory.

“You could tell we had really good energy when the game started,” Columbus coach John Tortorella, who led the Lightning to the Stanley Cup in 2004, told reporters after Tuesday’s triumph. “I thought it was the best checking we’ve done all year long and I think that helped us create offense.” The Blue Jackets, who should have Sergei Bobrovsky (4-0-0, .952 save percentage) back in net after he was rested Tuesday, will need more of the same against a Lightning team that is averaging 3.86 goals and boasts points in five straight (4-0-1). Nikita Kucherov leads Tampa Bay with eight goals and has scored in all seven games to start the season, joining only five other players in NHL history to accomplish that feat since 1943-44. “He’s a very intelligent guy and now he’s in his early 20s, he’s been around a bit,” Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman told the Tampa Bay Times of Kucherov. “He knows what he needs to do, what he wants to do. He wants to be great.”

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Sun (Tampa Bay), FSN Ohio (Columbus)

ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (5-1-1): Kucherov owns 12 points and a team-best 27 shots, but captain Steven Stamkos has matched his linemate’s hot start with a pair of tallies and 10 assists after missing most of last season with a knee injury. Norris Trophy finalist Victor Hedman played a season-high 29:07 in the 5-4 shootout loss at New Jersey on Tuesday and is among the league leaders in ice time at 26:28 per contest. Andrei Vasilevskiy (5-1-0, .914 SP) is expected back in net after sitting out his first game Tuesday and Tampa Bay has averaged 35 shots against in the first six starts of his first full season as the No. 1 goalie.

ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (5-1-0): Left wing Artemi Panarin is off to a strong start in his first season with Columbus after being acquired from Chicago, recording a goal and seven assists to go along with a plus-6 rating. Cam Atkinson, who netted a career-high 35 goals last season, has scored in back-to-back games after coming up empty in three straight and fellow forward Sonny Milano is pointless in the last three contests after recording four goals in the first three. Defenseman Zach Werenski has not missed a beat after a dazzling rookie season, scoring three times and assisting on two others in the first six games.

OVERTIME

1. Stamkos’ hot start pushed his career totals to 594 points in 593 contests and he owns seven goals in 12 career games versus Columbus.

2. The Blue Jackets have yet to get going on the power play, converting once in 16 opportunities.

3. Columbus won all three meetings last season, outscoring the Lightning 13-5 in the process.

PREDICTION: Blue Jackets 3, Lightning 1