Game 2 Preview: What on earth can Jackets/Lightning give us for encore?!

Thursday, August 13, 2020 - 3:00 EST
Scotiabank Arena - Toronto, Ontario
TV: Fox Sports Ohio & NBCSN; Radio: 97.1 FM
Opponent’s Blog: Raw Charge

Columbus Blue Jackets (33-22-15, 81 points, 6th Metro, 9th East)

vs.

Tampa Bay Lightning (43-21-6, 92 points, 2nd Atlantic, 2nd East)

Wow. While I’m writing this preview in the minutes following the marathon five-overtime Game 1 that was Blue Jackets-Lightning, I still wouldn't be surprised if that game was still happening. Seriously though, what. a. game.

Joonas Korpisalo — by the way, there’s no need to bring up Sergei Bobrovsky anymore unless it’s just to reminisce about his days in a CBJ uniform — set an NHL record with 85 saves. Seth Jones set a record in ice-time (65:06), and Columbus made sure Tampa Bay earned their first-ever victory against the Jackets in five all-time playoff games, being that Game 1 is the fourth-longest playoff game in NHL history. Needless to say, it’s also the longest game fo both teams.

Now begs the question, how will these surely tired teams fare today for Game 2?

Both teams had off-days Wednesday, and I am curious to see any lineup changes as a possible result of the extended ice-time for several players. We’ll see Korpisalo — after all it’s not like Elvis Merzlikins is entering the building just yet — and Jones will still be relied upon for big minutes. But how will someone such as Ryan Murray do?

Also, you really have to have messed up, or been inconsistent in your officiating, if Jones is even saying something about it.

Jones is also a beast.

Victor Hedman was a late add to the Tampa Bay lineup after an ankle injury suffered during the round-robin against the Flyers and played 53:19, leading his team with a 2.39 xGF while 5v5. Steven Stamkos is also still out with an injury, going back to before the league-wide pause in March.

Player to Watch

Cam Atkinson was the only player not to record a shot-on-goal in Game 1 in nearly 40 minutes of ice-time. In the qualifying round versus the Maple Leafs, Atkinson had five points (two goals, three assists) which leads the team so far, and the Jackets will take some more of that to get out of this round against Tampa Bay. He was hauled down on a breakaway in the final overtime, instead ended up in the back of the net himself.

Jackets Notes

Pierre-Luc Dubois leads the Blue Jackets in goals this playoffs (three) while the points-leader for the playoffs, Atkinson, is the only other skater to have multi-goals. ... Per Natural Stat Trick, Alexander Wennberg had an xGF of 1.1 and xGA of 0.96, the only Blue Jacket to have a positive differential while on 5v5. ... After scoring on their first power play opportunity in Game 1, Columbus is 1-for-19 for the playoffs. ... One takeaway from Game 1 was the noted physicality from Tampa Bay, and particularly the lack of that doing Columbus’ sweep in last year’s playoffs, as Tampa outhit Columbus 59-46 on Tuesday. ... Among playoff goalies that have played at least five games, Joonas Korpisalo leads in SV% (.960) and GAA (1.34). ... Here’s some other news and notes from Blue Jackets insider Jeff Svoboda:

Season Series

2/10/20 TBL 2 @ CBJ 1 OT

8/11/20 CBJ 2 TBL 3 5 OT
8/13/20 CBJ @ TBL 3:00 EST
8/15/20 TBL @ CBJ 7:30 EST
8/17/20 TBL @ CBJ 3:00 EST

Playoff Stats

Projected Lineups