Game Preview #30 - Can They Keep Streaking?

Nashville Predators at Columbus Blue Jackets

March 19, 2013 - 7:00pm EDT
Nationwide Arena - Columbus, Ohio
Radio - WBNS 97.1 - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponents Blog: On the Forecheck
SBNation Game Page
Tickets

It's been literally two months since we've seen these guys, and tonight's matchup reunites the rivalry. For once, the two teams are headed in opposite directions and it's isn't the Jackets on the losing end. Columbus, as noted, has points in 10 straight games (6-0-4). Conversely, the Preds are limped, having lost three straight, and with just four wins in their last 15 games (4-9-2).

They also got the butt end of a rough travel schedule for this one, as this is the fifth game of a road trip, and they played Sunday in Edmonton. The Jackets have been off one more day than Nashville, and have been sleeping in their own beds. Columbus also should get Derek MacKenzie back tonight; he will take Colton Gillies' spot on the fourth line.

Nashville and Columbus are in many ways mirror images of each other: they've gotten good goaltending, they can't score, and they win games by wearing their opponents down. As good as Sergei Bobrovsky has been in March, that's how good Pekka Rinne has largely been almost all season for Nashville.

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The Preds are also battling a slew of injuries, including missing leading scorer Colin Wilson, Patric Hornqvist, and Paul Gaustad. The Jackets have no sympathy for your injuries. Nashville will also be without Sergei Kostitsyn tonight. He's healthy; he's just a bonehead. More on that below.

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(11-12-6, 28 Points; 5th division, 13th conference)

R.J. Umberger	Ryan Johansen	Nick Foligno
Matt Calvert	Brandon Dubinsky	Cam Atkinson
Vinny Prospal	Derick Brassard	Mark Letestu
Derek MacKenzie	Artem Anisimov	Jared Boll

Fedor Tyutin	Jack Johnson
Nikita Nikitin	Dalton Prout
John Moore	Tim Erixon

Sergei Bobrovsky

Steve Mason

Nashville Predators
(11-12-6, 28 Points; 4th Division, 12th Conference)

Nick Spaling	Craig Smith	Matt Halischuk
Taylor Beck	Mike Fisher	Martin Erat
Gabriel Bourque	David Legwand	Bobby Butler
Rich Clune	Chris Mueller	Brandon Yip

Victor Bartley	Shea Weber
Roman Josi	Kevin Klein
Ryan Ellis	Jonathon Blum

Pekka Rinne

Chris Mason

Season Series

01/19/13 - Columbus 3 at Nashville 2 - SO
03/19/13 - Nashville at Columbus
03/23/13 - Columbus at Nashville
04/04/13 - Columbus at Nashville
04/27/13 - Nashville at Columbus

Head to Head

Nashville		Columbus
2.24 (29)	GPG	2.07 (30)
2.48 (8)	GAPG	2.52 (10)
18.3% (20)	PP%	13.4% (28)
77.9% (26)	PK%	86.5% (4)
Gabriel Borque, 9	G leader	Vinny Prospal, 9
Colin Wilson, 12	A leader	Fedor Tyutin, 13
Colin Wilson, 19	Pts leader	Derick Brassard / Vinny Prospal, 15
Richard Clune, 53	PIM leader	Jared Boll, 79
5-10-2	Road/Home	8-4-5
3/17 @ Edmonton, L 3-2	Last Game	3/16 vs Phoenix, W 1-0 (SO)
3-6-1	Last 10	6-0-4

Game Notes

• No Sergei - Sergei Kostitsyn will be a healthy scratch tonight for the Predators, after he (for lack of any better terms) gave up on a short-handed rush for Edmonton, electing instead to change "behind the play" as the Oil PK went in 2-on-1 for a goal. Check the link above in the Head to Head to see the highlight. It's pretty inexcusable.
• Who Can Score? - These are the two worst scoring teams in the league, and both actually have good goaltenders. Will these be another 1-0 shootout game? Columbus has gone to four straight shootouts (2-2).
• Special Teams - The Jackets' PK continues to impress, now up to 4th in the NHL at 86.5%. They've surrendered just one PPG in their last 13 games, going 32-of-33 over that stretch. They haven't allowed a 5-on-4 goal in that entire span. The Preds' PK is in the lower portion of the league, so perhaps the Jackets PP unit--still struggling, as ever--can at least gain zone entry tonight.

We'll know we're in trouble if the Predators generate 35+ shots like the Jackets' recent opponents have been doing. Can Bob ride the wave again??