Gameday Guide: Feb. 10 at Buffalo

If Carson Meyer doesn't play during
the Blue Jackets game tonight at Buffalo
, he'll still be the happiest healthy scratch he's ever been.
The Powell native, Ohio AAA Blue Jackets alum and Ohio State product started playing hockey because of the Blue Jackets being in his backyard, and he was added to the roster for the first time ever on an emergency recall last night.

He'll make his NHL debut if Patrik Laine is unable to play with an upper-body injury, though Laine went through the team's morning skate and appears like he'll be ready to go. That would mean no game for Meyer, but even being with the Jackets for the first time has been a memorable experience for the central Ohio native who dreamed of this moment when he was a kid.
"It's definitely pretty exciting," he said Thursday morning. "I have worked my whole like for the opportunity, and I feel like I am really close right now. Whether or not I play tonight, I am still just excited to be here and have this chance. It's nice that my hard work and everything has been getting rewarded right now."

Originally a sixth-round pick of the Jackets in the 2017 draft, Meyer made his pro debut a season ago with AHL Cleveland and impressed right out of the gate, earning a one-year contract this season with the Monsters. So far this year, he has nine goals in 33 games, giving him 18 in 59 career AHL games.
But scoring has not been the main focus of his game so far this year, as Meyer was instructed in the offseason that his ticket to the NHL will be hard forechecking, speed, aggression and strength in battles. It's been a bit of a transition for someone who was a high-level scorer all through juniors and college, but he's also always been an energetic player.
If he does see the ice, that's what he'll look to bring, but he's still just excited to have the chance to be around the big club no matter how it goes.
"You never know when you're gonna get the call or if you're gonna get the call," he said. "I was playing well at the right time, I guess."

3 Keys to the Game

Keep scoring: Columbus has 20 goals in its last four games and put seven into the net during its first visit to the KeyBank Center earlier this year. Against a Buffalo team that is 27th in the NHL in team defense, the opportunities should be there.
Power play success: The Blue Jackets are coming off a two-goal performance on the power play for the first time since late November. The man advantage can always be a difference maker.
Stay physical: Columbus finished with 27 hits in Washington on Tuesday and pointed to that as a reason the team was able to leave D.C. with a win. That kind of engagement level will be needed in a different atmosphere tonight.

Notable

With two power-play goals Tuesday vs. the Capitals, Laine is the first-ever CBJ player to score multiple goals in three consecutive team games. He has four straight multipoint contests, giving him 6-3-9 in the past four contests. … CBJ captain Boone Jenner has a team-best 19 goals and a 7-5-12 line in the last 12 games. His game-winning goal with 44.2 seconds to play Washington was the fifth-latest regulation game winner in team history. ... Gustav Nyquist has an 8-9-17 line in the last 17 games and six multipoint contests in the last 13. He also has four shorthanded goals on the season, tied for first in the NHL with Florida's Aleksandar Barkov. … Max Domi is two goals from 100, three assists from 200 and five points from 300 in his NHL career. … CBJ rookie forward Trey Fix-Wolansky scored his first career goal Tuesday, becoming the sixth Jackets player ever to tally a goal in his NHL debut. … The Blue Jackets have trailed in 13 of their 21 wins this year and have five wins when trailing after two periods, one behind Florida for most in the NHL. ... Columbus earned a 7-4 win at Buffalo on Nov. 22. The Blue Jackets have picked up points in the last five meetings (3-0-2) and 11 of the past 14 games of the series (9-3-2).

Projected Lineup

(Subject to change)
Patrik Laine - Boone Jenner - Gus Nyquist
Jakub Voracek - Cole Sillinger - Oliver Bjorkstrand
Yegor Chinakhov - Sean Kuraly - Max Domi
Trey Fix-Wolansky - Jack Roslovic - Brendan Gaunce
Zach Werenski - Andrew Peeke
Vladislav Gavrikov - Adam Boqvist
Gavin Bayreuther - Dean Kukan
Elvis Merzlikins (confirmed starter)
Joonas Korpisalo
Scratches: Carson Meyer, Gabriel Carlsson
Injured Reserve: Justin Danforth (left knee sprain; six weeks as of Dec. 31); Daniil Tarasov (lower body; out indefinitely as of Jan. 4); Alexandre Texier (fractured finger; out four weeks as of Jan. 27), Jake Bean (groin strain; out four weeks as of Jan. 30); Eric Robinson (knee; out six weeks as of Jan. 31)
COVID protocol: Emil Bemstrom
Roster Report:If Laine can go, the Blue Jackets are not expected to make any changes to the lineup after beating Washington by a 5-4 score on Tuesday.

This Day in CBJ History

Feb. 10, 2001: Geoff Sanderson notches the first hat trick in CBJ history, scoring all three Jackets goals in a 3-2 home win vs. Nashville.
Feb. 10, 2009: Dan LaCosta made 31 saves in a 3-0 win vs. Colorado at Nationwide Arena to notch his only career shutout. The goalie would play in only four games in his NHL career, all with Columbus.
Feb. 10, 2020: First-round pick Liam Foudy made his NHL debut for the Blue Jackets, skating in a home game vs. Tampa Bay.