PREVIEW: Jackets searching for consistency during trip to Nashville
Columbus has done some good things of late, but wins have been at a premium
In situations such as these, the reality is there's often no magic bullet to get out of them. A team simply has to keep plugging away and start to stack performances on top of one another to get where it wants to be.
"There's still so much inconsistency," head coach John Tortorella said Friday after a 2-0 loss to Chicago that followed a 6-5 shootout setback. "We talked at the beginning of the year about a different road going down to win, about winning a game 5-4, 5-3, and then also winning a game 2-1. We're on the wrong end of a 6-5 loss, although we get a point and high marks coming back three times, but we're on the wrong end of that one, and then we're on the wrong end of a 1-0 one. We went down the avenues, but we did not get the wins with a team that desperately needs wins.
"There is not going to be any magic thing that happens for us to come out of this. We just have to continue to work. I think the coaches need to be patient in their teaching as I have found the past couple of weeks in different styles of coaching. I think the best thing right now is to keep on working with the team and be patient and try to find traction that way."
It's a team that's still finding its way, plagued by youth at some key spots (center) and inconsistency at others (defensive corps). But there are things to build on in the past two games, with Columbus battling back from a rough first period in the opener against Chicago then playing one of its better defensive games of the year Thursday night.
But the reality is moral victories are starting to ring hollow at a time where standings points are at a premium. With just a .500 points percentage, the Blue Jackets sit sixth in a Central Division where only the top four will make the playoffs.
While there's certainly time to make up ground -- we're just 21 games into a 56-game season -- there is little doubt the team needs to hit a hot streak at some point, one that can perhaps start this weekend in Nashville.
"This is where we find ourselves right now," captain Nick Foligno said after Thursday's game. "I think everyone is tired of the rhetoric and the same things. We have to find a way. We have to find a way. It's in that room. We are going to keep working away at it. There's no quit, and that's just how we have to go about it. It's not going to be easy, but once we find our game, then hopefully we can get some momentum off that and start rolling."
Know the Foe
The Predators continue to struggle to get traction, as Nashville sits in seventh place in the Central Division coming into what feels like a huge series for both teams.
This will be the third series between the squads - Nashville holds a 3-1-0 record thus far after a season-opening sweep and a split last week in Nationwide Arena - so the Predators will be familiar face. Still, it's a team that is still trying to find itself, as the Preds sit 29th in the NHL in goal scoring (2.26 per game), 25th in team defense (3.26 goals allowed per game), 21st in power play (17.9 percent) and 28th in penalty kill (70.3 percent).
Blue Jackets fans should know Filip Forsberg at this point, as Nashville's leading scorer (9-8-17) in the season has feasted on the Blue Jackets, notching three goals on the year, all of them in the third period of Predators wins.
But outside of Forsberg, the Preds have struggled to generate offense. Perennial Norris Trophy candidate Roman Josi has added two goals and nine assists for 11 points from the blue line, but no one else is in double figures in scoring. Mikael Granlund has a 4-5-9 line, while Ryan Ellis has two goals among his nine points and Matt Duchene is next with three goals and eight points. Calle Jarnkrok also has added three goals in four games vs. Columbus this year.
Also up front, former CBJ forward Ryan Johansen missed the last series against the Jackets but returned in the team's recently completed set with Detroit; he has zero goals and four assists in 12 games this year.
In net, veteran Pekka Rinne has started 10 games and appeared in 12 at age 38, going 5-6-0 with a 2.52 GAA and .911 save percentage. Juuse Saros is 3-5-0 with a 3.47 GAA and .882 save percentage.
3 Keys to the Game
Power play advantage: Columbus has been good on the power play of late (9 of the last 33, 27.2 percent) but has had trouble getting there at times. The Jackets had just one opportunity in the recent series with Nashville against a struggling Predators PK, so they need to get to the man advantage to score on it.
Shake it off: The Jackets played well enough to win on balance Thursday night but just couldn't get the goals they needed. Take the good things out of the performance and forget about the bad, then play with confidence today.
Defensive improvement: Tortorella said the Jackets gave up just 11 scoring chances Thursday vs. Chicago, an improvement over recent outings in which the CBJ have allowed 20 or more. With Nashville struggling to score goals, it's an opportunity to build on a solid showing.
Of Note
Cam Atkinson has six goals in the last eight games, not to mention a 7-5-12 line in the last 10. His seven goals in February are tied for fifth in the NHL. … Jack Roslovic has a 4-8-12 line in the last 12 games, while Patrik Laine has 10 points in 11 games (6-4-10) with Columbus since being traded to the team. … Seth Jones has 10 points (1-9-10) in the last 11 games. ... Atkinson (8-8-16) and Oliver Bjorkstrand (6-10-16) remain tied for the team lead in points. … After playing just one game last year that featured at least 10 combined goals between the teams, the Blue Jackets have been in four such games this year. … Columbus has scored first in 14 of 21 games and outscored teams 23-14 in first period. … The Blue Jackets are 1-6-1 in their last eight trips to the Music City and have just nine wins in 47 games there.
Projected Lineup
(Subject to change)
Patrik Laine - Nick Foligno - Oliver Bjorkstrand
Boone Jenner - Jack Roslovic - Cam Atkinson
Max Domi - Alexandre Texier - Emil Bemstrom
Eric Robinson - Kevin Stenlund - Riley Nash
Zach Werenski - Seth Jones
Gabriel Carlsson - David Savard
Vladislav Gavrikov - Michael Del Zotto
Joonas Korpisalo
Veini Vehvilainen
Scratches: Mikhail Grigorenko, Scott Harrington, Dean Kukan
Taxi squad: Zac Dalpe, Ryan MacInnis, Stefan Matteau, Cam Johnson
Injured reserve:Elvis Merzlikins (upper body), Gus Nyquist (shoulder, out 5-6 months as of November), Brandon Dubinsky (wrist, LTIR)
Roster report: The skater lineup above is what the team used for Thursday night's game against Chicago, and no changes are expected to the mix. Vehvilainen was recalled Friday and will back up Korpisalo; the 24-year-old Finn is yet to see NHL action in his career.
