Game #37 Preview: The Blue Jackets are heading to Florida, but this weekend won’t be a vacation.

Tuesday, March 30 – 7:00 P.M. EST
Amalie Arena – Tampa, Florida
TV: Fox Sports Ohio, NHL Network, ESPN+; Radio: 97.1 FM
Opponent’s Blog: Raw Charge

Columbus Blue Jackets (13-15-8, 34 points, 6th Central)

at

Tampa Bay Lightning (34-24-8, 50 points, 1st Central)

I won’t rehash the past weekend – partially because I didn’t watch the games, I only saw their results on Twitter, and also because I don’t want to put myself in a bad mood before I try to scrape together any optimism I can find heading into this TBL-FLA-FLA-TBL series the Jackets have coming up.

The Jackets haven’t seen a win since their shootout thriller against the Hurricanes on March 20, so they’re definitely due. But with the lineup and team in shambles, for lack of a better word – the odds feel pretty grim against the No. 1 team in the league.

If it seems like it’s been awhile since the Blue Jackets have stared down the Lightning, it’s because it has been – since January 23 to be exact, in a game where we won 5-2. To put into perspective where the team was at that point of the season, Pierre-Luc Dubois was still on the team. Obviously, a LOT has changed since then.

Player to Watch

Max Domi

In a weekend full of bad stuff – in other words, getting swept by the Detroit Red Wings – Max Domi was a bright spot, and it looks like he’s finally coming into his potential with the team. So I’ll be keeping an eye on him – which I always do anyways, he’s so handsome. Let’s hope he steps up and plays an integral part in closing the three-point gap that exists between the Jackets and a playoff spot this year.

Jackets Notes

Eric Robinson is slated to play in his 100th career NHL game tonight, and Max Domi has played 304 consecutive games since February 2, 2017, which is the seventh-longest streak in the NHL. It has not been announced who will be in net tonight.

The Other Bench

The Bolts are on a two-game losing streak, which means the Jackets should strike while that iron is hot. They lost to Carolina on Saturday and Dallas last Thursday, both on the road. I love how their blog is currently freaking out about a two-game losing streak and whether or not they should #FireCooper – join the club, buddies!

Season Series

01/21/21 TBL 3 @ CBJ 2 (OT)
01/23/21 TBL 2 @ CBJ 5
03/30/21 CBJ @ TBL
04/01/21 CBJ @ TBL
04/06/21 TBL @ CBJ
04/08/21 TBL @ CBJ
04/22/21 CBJ @ TBL
04/25/21 CBJ @ TBL

Stats

Projected Lineup