Game Preview #71 - Frequent Flyer Miles
The NHL once again proves that it doesn't seem to really like Columbus when it comes to making out the schedule.
Columbus Blue Jackets at Vancouver Canucks
March 19, 2015 - 10:00 pm EDT
Rogers Arena - Vancouver, British Columbia
Radio - WBNS 97.1 FM - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: Nucks Misconduct
Calgary is a 45 minute flight from Edmonton.
Vancouver is a one hour and 25 minute flight from Edmonton.
Calgary is a one hour and 15 minute flight from Vancouver.
If you're going to start Columbus in Edmonton and ask them to play two games back-to-back, rest a day, and then play a third on the fourth day, wouldn't it make more sense for them to go from Edmonton to Calgary, and then on to Vancouver for the third game? Of course it would.
Obviously, the total flight times aren't egregiously longer the way we're doing it, but... I'm a man of logical principle. It's like how the Jackets almost ALWAYS play three in four nights in California, but the back-to-back ALWAYS involves a trip from LA to San Jose or vice versa. Play the back to back in the same damn city (or, in this case, province), and then travel.
End rant.
Another late start, though my guess is many of you will be up watching hoops anyway, so why not flip over to this one once in awhile? We don't know much, given the aforementioned travel and lack of morning skate. No word yet on Brandon Dubinsky and his lingering upper body injury. Otherwise, I'm going to assume Bob is back in net tonight.
Projected Lineups
Columbus Blue Jackets
(31-35-4, 66 Points; 7th division, 13th conference)
| Rene Bourque | Ryan Johansen | Cam Atkinson |
| Corey Tropp | Artem Anisimov | Nick Foligno |
| Scott Hartnell | Alexander Wennberg | Marko Dano |
| Ryan Craig | Mark Letestu | Jared Boll |
| Jack Johnson | David Savard |
| Fedor Tyutin | Ryan Murray |
| Kevin Connauton | Dalton Prout |
| Sergei Bobrovsky |
| Curtis McElhinney |
Vancouver Canucks
(40-25-4, 84 Points; 2nd Division, 6th Conference)
| Daniel Sedin | Henrik Sedin | Alex Burrows |
| Shawn Matthias | Nick Bonino | Radim Vrbata |
| Chris Higgins | Linden Vey | Derek Dorsett |
| Ronalds Kenins | Bo Horvat | Jannik Hansen |
| Alexander Edler | Christopher Tanev |
| Dan Hamhuis | Yannick Weber |
| Luca Sbisa | Kevin Bieksa |
| Eddie Lack |
| Joacim Eriksson |
Season Series
VAN - 1-0-0
CBJ - 0-1-011/28/14 - Vancouver 5 at Columbus 0
03/19/15 - Columbus at Vancouver
Head to Head Stats
| Vancouver | Columbus | |
| 2.80 (11) | GPG | 2.53 (24) |
| 2.65 (19) | GAPG | 3.13 (25) |
| 17.2% (20) | PP% | 21.5% (6) |
| 86.1% (3) | PK% | 78.8% (24) |
| Radim Vrbata, 26 | G leader | Nick Foligno, 25 |
| Daniel Sedin, 46 | A leader | Nick Foligno, 37 |
| Daniel Sedin / Henrik Sedin, 60 | Pts leader | Nick Foligno, 62 |
| Derek Dorsett, 152 | PIM leader | Jared Boll, 102 |
| 20-13-1 | Home/Road | 18-15-2 |
| 6-3-1 | Last 10 | 5-5-0 |
| 3/17 vs. Philadelphia, W 4-1 | Last Game | 3/18 @ Edmonton, W 4-3 (SO) |