SETTING THE STAGE: This is a completely different Western Canada swing from previous years, and the Blue Jackets face one of their biggest tests yet when their week-long trip begins Tuesday night.
Not only will they make their first visit to beautiful new Rogers Place in Edmonton, but the Blue Jackets get their first look at an upstart Oilers team that is right in the thick of the Pacific Division race. The Oilers have received a lift from Connor McDavid, their captain and one of the league's most explosive players, as well as strong goaltending from Cam Talbot to help stabilize things on the defensive end - as a result, their performance has been more consistent and their record reflects that.
Columbus has found success by playing a fast and aggressive style of game early on in the season, and will need to be even better against an Oilers team that wants to play the same way. The Oilers have more depth than they've enjoyed recently and they love to ride waves of momentum in their own building, meaning puck management is at a premium for the Blue Jackets as they look to be stingy with scoring chances allowed and not feed into Edmonton's preferred style.
There are no back-to-backs on this trip for the Blue Jackets, who improved to 17-5-4 with a 6-2 win over the surging New York Islanders on Saturday night at Nationwide Arena. Columbus' .731 points-earned percentage is second-best in the NHL behind Montreal, and its +31 goal differential is second only to the New York Rangers (+35).
NOTEWORTHY NEWS: Captain Nick Foligno returned to practice Monday after missing the past two games with an illness. He was in his usual spot, on right wing with Brandon Saad on the left side and Alex Wennberg at center, and should play Tuesday. John Tortorella said Oliver Bjorkstrand, who played two games in Foligno's absence, will make the trip and serve as the extra forward. Sergei Bobrovsky is expected to start against the Oilers.
PROJECTED CBJ LINEUP:
Saad - Wennberg - Foligno
Jenner - Dubinsky - Atkinson
Hartnell - Karlsson - Anderson
Calvert - Sedlak - Gagner
Werenski - Jones
Johnson - Savard
Murray - Nutivaara
Bobrovsky
