Arizona Coyotes at Columbus Blue Jackets
Saturday, December 9, 2017 – 7:00 EST
Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH
TV: Fox Sports Ohio; Radio: 97.1 WBNS FM
Opponent’s Blog: Five For Howling
Arizona Coyotes, 7-19-5, 19 points, 8th Pacific, 15th West
@
Columbus Blue Jackets,
Stats Preview
| Arizona | Columbus | |
|---|---|---|
| 2.35 (30) | GPG | 2.75 (24) |
| 3.51 (31) | GAPG | 2.46 (3) |
| 17.52% (23) | PP% | 8.64% (31) |
| 80.95% (14) | PK% | 84.05% (4) |
| 47.02% (28) | EV Corsi % | 52.80% (4) |
| 97.8 (29) | EV PDO | 100.3 (16) |
| Clayton Keller, 11 | G Leader | Josh Anderson, 10 |
| Max Domi, 15 | A Leader | Artemi Panarin, 18 |
| Clayton Keller, 23 | P Leader | Artemi Panarin, 25 |
| Jason Demers, 23 | PIM Leader | David Savard and Nick Foligno, 16 |
| 4-11-4 | Home / Road | 10-5-1 |
| 4-4-2 | Last 10 | 7-3-0 |
Probable Lineups
| Milan Lucic | Connor McDavid | Jesse Puljujarvi |
| Patrick Maroon | Ryan Nugent-Hopkins | Michael Cammalleri |
| Jujhar Khaira | Leon Draisaitl | Ryan Strome |
| Drake Caggiula | Mark Letestu | Zack Kassian |
| Darnell Nurse | Kris Russell |
| Oscar Klefbom | Matt Benning |
| Yohann Auvitu | Brandon Davidson |
| Laurent Brossoit |
| Nick Ellis |
| Artemi Panarin | Pierre-Luc Dubois | Josh Anderson |
| Nick Foligno | Alexander Wennberg | Oliver Bjorkstrand |
| Boone Jenner | Brandon Dubinsky | Cam Atkinson |
| Matt Calvert | Lukas Sedlak | Tyler Motte/Markus Hannikainen |
| Zach Werenski | Seth Jones |
| Jack Johnson | David Savard |
| Scott Harrington | Markus Nutivaara |
| Sergei Bobrovsky |
| Joonas Korpisalo |
Preview
Tonight has become a must win in Nationwide Arena. After two absolutely terrible games in a row against the New Jersey Devils, the Columbus Blue Jackets play host to the cellar dwelling Arizona Coyotes. If the Blue Jackets want to be taken seriously as playoff contenders (forget winning a round right now, getting back in is the goal), then tonight is a game this team has to win, and win decisively. Columbus is on paper the far better team (power play notwithstanding), but are in their own heads at this point. To get back on track, a big win tonight would be huge.
Wrote that at first intermission. Turns out, Artemi Panarin decided to will the CBJ back to victory on the back of his wonderful playmaking ability. Tonight becomes a must win to maintain supremacy at the top of the Metro. Naturally, the Blue Jackets will do their very best to make this harder than is necessary. The team appears to be overthinking everything on the ice, not letting the game come to them, and playing themselves out of position. To wit:
See a lot of what coach Dave King used to call “duplication of effort,” where guys are trying to make something happen and taking themselves out of position in the process. #CBJ
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) December 9, 2017
Ryan Murray is missed more severely than any of us could have ever predicted. Guys like Nick Foligno, Cam Atkinson, and ESPECIALLY Brandon Dubinsky and Boone Jenner are just passengers on this team at this point. Atkinson has fewer points than a guy currently in the AHL “working on his game.” The second leading goal scorer on the team is a 20 year old defenseman. The leading goal scorer held out of camp for a contract and missed the first two games of the season. Even Sergei Bobrovsky has looked exceedingly mortal of late.
Things are inconsistent night in and night out, and time is running out to fix what ails this team. The Metro is so tight, and an extended losing streak could put the team in a hole they do not look currently capable of digging out of, given the maddening play from the not-top-line-and-defensive-pairing on a night to night basis. Tonight gives the team a chance to right the ship. Let’s get it done
Maybe Artem Panarin will carry this team to the playoffs on his back. He and Z are the best players on the team and it’s not even up for discussion. Those two will carry the team to whatever heights they hope to reach. Onward.
Also, pardon my French: Artemi Panarin is the fucking scariest offensive player this team has ever had. I hope he smashes all comers till the end of the season.
Go Jackets.