Game Preview #1: Opening Night
After a long offseason, fresh faces take the ice for Columbus with a simple goal: put last season as far in the rear view mirror as possible.
Boston Bruins at Columbus Blue Jackets
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 |