Game #5 Preview: Blue Jackets at Lightning

Saturday, October 13, 2018 – 7:00 EST
Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL
TV: Fox Sports Ohio; Radio: 97.1 WBNS FM
Opponent’s Blog: Raw Charge

Columbus Blue Jackets (2018-19 record: 3-1-0, 6 points, 2nd Metro, 4th East)

vs.

Tampa Bay Lightning (2018-19 record: 1-1-0, 2 points, 6th Atlantic, 13th East)

It wasn’t perfect but the Columbus Blue Jackets managed another win Thursday, spoiling the home opener for the Florida Panthers. Cam Atkinson’s late go-ahead goal with 2:46 remaining in the third period withstood a coaches challenge for goaltender interference and the Jackets skated out of Sunrise with two points, despite being outscored 3-1 in the second period and outshot 22-5.

Player to Watch

It might be hard to believe, but this season represents Steven Stamkos’ 11th year in the NHL. Among the best players in the game, he’s had his share of injuries, but the 28-year-old captain played his most games last year (78) since 2014-15 when he took part in all 82. Through two games, he’s been held off the scoresheet and Columbus will also need to watch out for a power play that ranked third in the league last year (23.91).

On the other hand, Artemi Panarin is off to a stellar start for Columbus, leading the club in points, goal, and assists.

Artemi Panarin has four goals, three assists, seven pts in the first four games for #CBJ

Last season, it took him 20 games to score his fourth goal. He also had 10 assists for 14 pts in those 20 games, but he’s off to a better start in this go-around.

— Brian Hedger (@BrianHedger) October 12, 2018

Jackets Notes

Anthony Duclair led all forwards with 20:47 ice-time, and saw an expanded role on the power play where he netted his goal of the young season. … Sergei Bobrovsky should see the net as Joonas Korpisalo saw his second game action Thursday, picking up a second win. … The Blue Jackets go for a season-high three-game winning streak. … The Jackets are one of the better first period teams, outscoring opponents 6-2. … They have been outscored 8-2 in the second period. … Jackets outscore opponents 5-1 in the third. While the ability to overcome adversity and finish games looks strong, they will need to start carrying their first period momentum into the middle frames, starting tonight with a solid performance against one of the games’ best teams.

The Other Bench

When thinking about a top player on the Tampa Bay Lightning, you have your options, from Andrei Vasilevskiy, Nikita Kucherov, to Stamkos. Last year’s Eastern Conference runner-ups featured a lethal scoring attack with 296 goals, which led the entire league, and a goaltender in Vasilevskiy who was named a Vezina finalist.

To start this year, the Lightning began with a 3-2 shootout win against the Panthers last Saturday, before falling to the Vancouver Canucks 4-1 Thursday. They gave up four third-period goals and went 0-for-5 on the power play. The Lightning are 0-for-8 on the power play this season.

Season Series

10/13/2018 CBJ @ TBL
1/8/2019 CBJ @ TBL
2/18/2019 TBL @ CBJ

Stats

Projected Lineups