Game Preview #49- It Can Always Get Worse
In which Columbus attempts to hockey successfully
7:00 PM – Game Faceoff
This franchise, man.
Just when you think this season has hit the lowest of the low points with Sergei Bobrovsky reinjuring his groin and returning to injured reserve, and the team being dead last in the standings by a pretty healthy margin, John Tortorella went and got himself hurt at practice yesterday. Following a collision with Rene Bourque at the team’s outdoor practice on Friday morning, Coach Tortorella was taken to Riverside Hospital for further evaluations. Torts is out tonight with an upper body injury, replaced by Craig Hartsburg. Just when you think it can’t get worse, it does. Welcome to the 2015-16 Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Columbus Blue Jackets travel to Boston to take on the Bruins tonight. Following a game that could have been called many things- mistake filled, lacking in offense, painful- the Jackets would look to rebound against a team that is somehow much worse at home than they are on the road in the Bruins. Given that these are the Blue Jackets, and nothing this team does on the ice this season makes any sense, perhaps they’ll eke out a win. Staying out of the box is going to be key, as Boston is converting on a ridiculous 27.0% of their man advantage opportunities. Columbus leads the league in penalty minutes. Talk about a real recipe for success.
In team news, Anton Forsberg was recalled from Lake Erie with the news that Bobrovsky was off to IR. Nick Foligno and Matt Calvert were activated, David Savard was added to the injured reserve list, and Markus Hannikainen was sent to Lake Erie.
To paraphrase Taylor Swift: Dear Hockey Gods, why you gotta be so mean?
Projected Lineups
Columbus Blue Jackets
(17-26-4, 38 Points; 8th division, 16th conference)
| Boone Jenner | Alexander Wennberg | Brandon Saad |
| Scott Hartnell | Brandon Dubinsky | Cam Atkinson |
| Matt Calvert | William Karlsson | Nick Foligno |
| Kerby Rychel | Gregory Campbell | Rene Bourque |
| Ryan Murray | Seth Jones |
| Jack Johnson | Cody Goloubef |
| Fedor Tyutin | Dalton Prout |
| Joonas Korpisalo |
| Anton Forsberg |
Boston Bruins
(24-17-5, 53 points - 4th Atlantic, 7th East)
| Brad Marchand | Patrice Bergeron | Brett Connolly |
| Loui Eriksson | David Krejci | Matt Pasternak |
| Matt Beleskey | Ryan Spooner | Jimmy Hayes |
| Zac Rinaldo | Max Talbot | Landon Ferraro |
| Zdeno Chara | Zach Trotman |
| Joe Morrow | Dennis Seidenberg |
| Torey Krug | Kevan Miller |
| Tukka Rask |
| Jonas Gustavsson |