Game 52 Preview: Pecked to Death By Ducks
Columbus Blue Jackets at Anaheim Ducks
February 3, 2012 - 10:00pm EST
Honda Center - Anaheim, California
Radio - WBNS FM 97.1 - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponents Blog: Anaheim Calling
Talk about two teams heading in opposite(ish) directions. The Ducks are 9-2-1 over their last 12 games, whereas the Jackets are 3-8-1 over that span. However, bookending this for the Jackets is Jeff Carter: he separated his shoulder in the Jackets' last game in Anaheim on January 8, and tonight he's been activated from IR and will take the ice for the first time since.
However, the lineup he will rejoin is a completely different one. Scott Arrniel is gone, and Todd Richards is writing the lineups. Though it's hard to fault him for shaking things up amidst this most current (of many) slumps, but I doubt Carter expected to come back and see Colton Gillies to his left. C'est la vie...
Marc Methot skated this morning, and may be back in after his bout with the flu, though he's still officially listed as questionable. If he goes in, I suspect he pushes Grant Clitsome to the press box, but that's just my hunch.
Projected Lineups
Columbus Blue Jackets
(13-32-6, 32 Points; 5th division, 15th conference)
| R.J. Umberger | Derick Brassard | Rick Nash |
| Colton Gillies | Jeff Carter | Vinny Prospal |
| Derek Dorsett | Samuel Pahlsson | Antoine Vermette |
| Ryan Russell | Derek MacKenzie | Jared Boll |
| Fedor Tyutin | Brett Lebda |
| Grant Clitsome | John Moore |
| Aaron Johnson | David Savard |
| Curtis Sanford |
| Steve Mason |
Anaheim Ducks
(19-24-7, 45 Points; 5th Division, 13th Conference)
| Bobby Ryan | Ryan Getzlaf | Corey Perry |
| Niklas Hagman | Saku Koivu | Teemu Selanne |
| Matt Beleskey | Nick Bonino | Andrew Cogliano |
| Rod Pelley | Mark Bell | George Parros |
| Francois Beauchemin | Cam Fowler |
| Luca Sbisa | Lubomir Visnovsky |
| Toni Lydman | Sheldon Brookbank |
| Jonas Hiller |
| Dan Ellis |
Season Series
10/30/11 - Anaheim 1 at Columbus 3 - RECAP
01/08/12 - Columbus 4 at Anaheim 7 - RECAP
02/03/12 - Columbus at Anaheim
02/12/12 - Anahiem at Columbus
Head to Head
Anaheim Columbus 2.58 (17) GPG 2.24 (29) 2.94 (26) GAPG 3.28 (29) 17.8% (16) PP% 14.3% (25) 84.0% (9) PK% 75.3% (30) Corey Perry, 22 G leader Rick Nash, 17 Teemu Selanne, 31 A leader Vinny Prospal, 22 Teemu Selanne, 47 Pts leader Rick Nash, 33 Corey Perry, 65 PIM leader Derek Dorsett, 118 13-13-1 Road/Home 5-19-3 2/1 vs. Dallas, L 6-2 Last Game 2/1 @ Los Angeles, "L" "3"-2 7-2-1 Last 10 2-7-1
Game Notes:
- The PK, It Pains Me - With Drew Doughty's "goal" at the "end" of the game the other night, the Jackets' PK is now officially back in the basement of the league. Huzzah!
- Joey on the Shelf - Ryan Johansen again looks to be the healthy scratch tonight. Perhaps a catch-your-breath moment for the kid.
The Jackets need to find some kind of offensive spark. Granted, this is not news, but as they start to get some guys back (read: Carter) they need to find a way to put pucks in the net.