|
CBJ G50 v Los Angeles Kings — Chase Continues |
|
|
|
|
|
The Columbus Blue Jackets return to home ice to collide with the Los Angeles Kings for their only visit to Nationwide Arena this season. Puck drop is at 7pm on Fan Duel Sports Network.
The Kings have goaltending this season, and that has been the major difference maker to keep them in the hunt when some analysts expected a drop off from an aging Kuemper for a struggling Dubois deal. This is expected to be the fourth straight year that the Kings and Oilers may clash at some point or another in the playoffs.
With the preseason injury to Drew Doughty, another major difference maker has been the performance of blue liner Brandt Clarke. The former Barrie Colt of the OHL leads the LA Kings’ scoring on the back end with 24 points in 45 games, and leads with 85 shots. The blocker has been former Blue Jackets’ defender Vladislav Gavrikov, who helped the team acquire a first round pick and Jonathan Quick when he was a pending free agent. Gavrikov has 91 blocked shots, a dozen more than second place.
The two way center depth of Anze Kopitar and Phillip Danault also has helped keep pucks out of the Kings’ net. The Kings sit at a +20. Los Angeles is also a 0.500 team on the road at 11-11-4. This also starts a five game road trip for the visitors which will take them through the Four Nations tournament.
For the Blue Jackets, this is the final game in the month of January, where Columbus will start a four game road trip in the Wild West. Columbus is on a four game home winning streak, with Zach Werenski continuing to get his home scoring streak extended to 19 consecutive games.
Columbus is on a four game home winning streak, only losing the first game of the year at home against Detroit. The Jackets are 16-5-3 at Nationwide. Strong home cooking for this club. Major reason for their success this season.
Captain Boone Jenner is skating with the team today for the first time since preseason. It was reported he is ahead of schedule and may debut before the NHL Navy Federal Stadium Series on March 1 at Buckeye Stadium against the Detroit Red Wings featuring musical performances by Twenty One Pilots and OAR.
Denton Mateychuk returns to the lineup and Kevin Labanc will sit this one out as coach Dean Evasson is going to the 11 forward and 7 defensemen lineup tonight. Cole Sillinger is out for his third straight game.
Elvis Merzlikins is expected to start against Darcy Kuemper.
Keys to Victory
1. Scoring Streak — get Werneski the puck and keep that going.
2. Capitalize on Road Weakness — Kings are 0.500 on the road, where they are not as dominant.
3. Powerless Play — the Kings have a bottom five power play; this may be the chance to strike shorthanded.
Projected Lineups
Los Angels Kings
Alex Turcotte -- Anze Kopitar -- Adrian Kempe
Warren Foegele -- Quinton Byfield -- Trevor Moore
Kevin Fiala -- Phillip Danault -- Alex Laferriere
Tanner Jeannot -- Samuel Helenius -- Trevor Lewis
Mikey Anderson -- Vladislav Gavrikov
Joel Edmundson -- Jordan Spence
Jacob Moverare -- Brandt Clarke
Darcy Kuemper
David Rittich
Scratched: Andreas Englund, Kyle Burroughs, Akil Thomas
Injured: Drew Doughty (ankle)
Columbus Blue Jackets
Dmitri Voronkov -- Adam Fantilli -- Kirill Marchenko
James van Riemsdyk -- Luca Del Bel Belluz -- Kent Johnson
Zach Aston-Reese -- Justin Danforth -- Mathieu Olivier
Mikael Pyyhtia -- Sean Kuraly
Zach Werenski -- Dante Fabbro
Jake Christensen -- Ivan Provorov
Denton Mateychuk -- Damon Severson
Jack Johnson
Elvis Merzlikins
Daniil Tarasov
Scratched: Jordan Harris, Kevin Labanc
Injured: Cole Sillinger (upper body), Sean Monahan (wrist), Yegor Chinakhov (upper body)
Players to Watch
Los Angeles — Brandt Clarke — the RHD is on my fantasy team and leads the Kings’ defense in scoring
Columbus — Adam Fantilli — first game at home after his first career hat-trick. Has 5 points in last two games from the back to back this week.
Predicted Final Score
LAK — 3
CBJ — 5
Gambling Corner
NHL Draft Kings has the Los Angeles Kings at a -175 favorites. Columbus for the upset is at a +145; meaning if you wager $100 on the Blue Jackets, you get $45 back.
Editor Note
Prayers to the victims in Los Angeles as the ongoing forest fire recovery continues in the city.
Additionally, what a relief Columbus and Carolina do not play each other again in the regular season. Wild occurrence that the last games Martin Necas and Jack Drury played for the Canes was against the Blue Jackets while Carolina lands Mikko Rantanen and Taylor Hall in the late evening three team trade blockbuster.
Finally, crazy this is the 10th anniversary of the All Star game in Columbus. It was by far my favorite NHL moment that I’ve been too live and in person. First time I met Chris Clark as well, and mentioned his admiration for Oliver Bjorkstrand when he was a part of the pipeline.
Columbus Blue Jackets Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»