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Game Preview #1: Opening Night

Boston Bruins at Columbus Blue Jackets

Game Faceoff

Finally.

After an offseason of contract debates, of buyouts, of goodbyes to longtime fan favorites, of draft surprises, after everything: we’ve made it. The curtain rises on the 2016-17 Columbus Blue Jackets tonight, welcoming the visiting Boston Bruins to the confines of Nationwide Arena. One question centers around the team: what the hell are we going to see this season?

As you all are acutely aware, last season started poorly. Historically bad, in fact. The front office, the coaching staff, and the players have, to a man, maintained the hard line stance that starting slowly again is unacceptable. How will the Blue Jackets adjust this season?

No one can call me the optimist of the group here- we all know that. I have been down on the season and trying to keep my expectations low- I’ve been burned too many times. But tonight? Hope springs eternal. This is a winnable game for the Blue Jackets. Getting that monkey off their back – getting out of the gate with a win – would be huge for the morale of the team. After that, literally anything can happen. This is, on paper, the most talented, fastest, and most dynamic goal scoring bunch the club has iced since they first were formed in 2000. They’re young, inexperienced, and have room to grow. In other words, the sky is the limit for this club.

Get after it, boys. It’s a long road ahead, but every single journey starts with a single step.

Here we are. Don’t turn away now. We are the warriors that built this town. -Imagine Dragons

Hockey season is back. Let’s shock the world.

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets (0-0-0, 0 points, 1st Metro, 3rd East)

Boone Jenner Brandon Dubinski Cam Atkinson
Brandon Saad Sam Gagner Nick Foligno
Scott Hartnell Alexander Wennberg Oliver BJORKSTRAND
Matt Calvert William Karlsson Josh Anderson

Zach Werenski Seth Jones
Ryan Murray David Savard
Jack Johnson Markus Nutivaara

Sergei Bobrovsky
Curtis McElhinney

Boston Bruins (0-0-0, 0 points, 3rd Atlantic, 3rd East)

Brad Marchand David Backes David Pastrnak
Ryan Spooner David Krejci Danton Heinen
Matt Beleskey Austin Czarnik Jimmy Hayes
Dominic Moore Riley Nash Noel Acciari

Zdeno Chara Brandon Carlo
Torey Krug Rob O’Gara
John-Michael Liles Colin Miller

Tuukka Rask
Anton Khudobin