Columbus Blue Jackets (22-40-7, 51 pts) at
Edmonton Oilers (26-36-7, 59 pts)
Rexall Place, Edmonton, Alberta
Wednesday, March 14, 2012 – 10:00 PM EDT
It’s the Yakupov Cup! Who wants it less? The Jackets have the inside track, with an eight-point cushion with 13 games to go. The wrinkle? There are four points up for grabs head-to-head, as the Jackets and Oilers play twice more in that 13-game span, including tonight.
The Oilers are a healthier team than when these team last met in January, but none-the-less they have been struggling. The biggest story in this game will be special teams: Edmonton is tops in the league on the PP, and the Jackets are last on the PK.
Roster-wise, the Jackets are still without Derek Dorsett (illness) and Derek MacKenzie (concussion), but have Steve Mason back, though he isn’t going to play tonight. It’s hard to ever put myself in a position where I would root against a team I love. I will say this: on the ice, from 10 to 12:30, I want the Jackets to win. Otherwise, you can convince me of the benefits of losing this game and I won’t argue.
Lawyer’d.