Game 71 Preview: Jackets take on the Wild
Twelve games left in the season. Not much left to play for, but tonight on a personal level I hope we take it to Minny. Nothing against the team itself, I am just one of those CBJ fans who has a natural dislike for our expansion cousins. I was one of those fans who pouted when Minny made the playoffs first, etc. It's funny though, had the result of my coin toss gone the other way I would be saying the same thing about the Blue Jackets.....
The Wild defense is in rough shape. They are starting a rookie back there tonight and the team is also without starting goaltender Niklas Backstrom. The Jackets have some good news and bad news going into tonight's game- they are going to be without Rusty Klesla and Jan Hejda for the rest of the season, but Rick Nash makes his return tonight after suffering a sore back, followed by the stomach flu. Matty Garon gets the start tonight against Josh Harding.
Fearless Prediction: Rick Nash scores in his return from injury/illness.
Game Time: 7:00pm ET
Opponent's Blog: Hockey Wilderness
Game Page: Wild vs Blue Jackets coverage
TSN Preview: Wild vs Blue Jackets preview
TV: FSN
Radio: WBNS-AM (1460); WWCD-FM (101.1)
More after the jump...
From the Columbus Dispatch:
The Blue Jackets haven't played since Monday, but the Wild played last night in Nashville. How do the 2000-01 expansion teams compare? Columbus is 275-356-33-62 with one playoff appearance; Minnesota is 327-284-55-59 with three playoff appearances.
Jackets Links:
Columbus Blue Jackets / Columbus Blue Jackets Schedule
Columbus Blue Jackets Roster / Columbus Blue Jackets Stats
Here are the lineups for tonight's tilt:
Columbus Blue Jackets
| R.J. Umberger | Derick Brassard | Jakub Voracek |
| Kristian Huselius | Antoine Vermette | Rick Nash |
| Andrew Murray | Samuel Pahlsson | Chris Clark |
| Derek Dorsett | Michael Blunden | Jared Boll |
| Fedor Tyutin | Marc Methot |
| Mike Commodore | Kris Russell |
| Nathan Paetsch | Anton Stralman |
| Steve Mason |
| Mathieu Garon |
| EXTRA: None |
| INJURED/SICK: Derek MacKenzie, Jan Hejda, Rostislav Klesla |
| Andrew Brunette | Mikko Koivu | Antti Miettinen |
| Guillaume Latendresse | Andrew Ebbett | Martin Havlat |
| Cal Clutterbuck | James Sheppard | Owen Nolan |
| Robbie Earl | Casey Wellman | Chuck Kobasew |
| Cam Barker | Nick Schultz |
| Marek Zidlicky | John Scott |
| Jaime Sifers | Justin Falk |
| Josh Harding |
| Wade Dubielewicz |