On the second night of a back-to-back, the Jackets head to the Staples Center tonight to take on the Kings. You can throw out the “this is the second game in two nights, so we’ll be tired” excuse because the Kings played last night as well, beating the Coyotes 5-3 in Phoenix.
The Jackets faced the Ducks last night, beating them 6-4 in a game that was much closer than the score indicates. Columbus had a 4-2 lead at one point, so there were some nervous moments late in the game when the Ducks managed to tie the score before a Fedor Tyutin blooper made it past Giguere to take the lead. Nash scored his 200th career goal into an open-net to seal the deal.
We haven’t heard anything to lead us to believe the lineup will be different tonight, so we’ll assume that Mase will get the start and the Filatov/Blunden combo will join Brassard on the fourth line. It was great to see Brass and Nik together last night, it looks like they were just starting to get some chemistry, a few more minutes of ice-time would have perhaps lead to a goal. My thinking is that against the Kings- who don’t play as physical as the Ducks- we may see more of that fourth line. The Vermette-Voracek combo shone last night, and I look for them to continue their solid play tonight. Fearless prediction- Anton Stralman will score tonight.
With both teams playing last night, this has the makings of a sloppy affair, but if both goaltenders bring their “A” game then we could be in for a great game.
Game Time: 9:00pm ET
Opponent’s Blog: Battle of California
Game Page: Blue Jackets vs Kings Coverage
TSN Preview: Blue Jackets vs Kings preview
TV: FSN Ohio
Radio: WBNS-AM (1460); WWCD-FM (101.1)
More after the jump…
From the Columbus Dispatch:
The Blue Jackets won 4-1 eight days ago in Nationwide Arena. Both the Blue Jackets and Kings played last night — the Jackets at Anaheim, the Kings at Phoenix. This is the Blue Jackets’ first back-to-back this season.
Jackets Links:
Here are the lineups for tonight’s tilt:
Columbus
Chimera – Umberger – Nash
Huselius- Vermette – Voracek
Torres – Pahlsson – Dorsett
Filatov – Brassard- Boll
Tyutin – Klesla
Commodore – Stralman
Russell – Roy
Mason
Garon
Injured: Jan Hejda, Fredrik Modin
Extra: Andrew Murray, Mike Blunden, Marc Methot
Los Angeles
Smyth – Kopitar – Williams
Frolov- Handzus – Brown
Purcell – Stoll – Simmonds
Ivanans – Richardson – Lewis
O’Donnell – Doughty
Johnson – Scuderi
Drewiske – Greene
Quick
Ersberg