Blue Jackets at Kings preview

BLUE JACKETS (19-15-8) at KINGS (17-22-4)
10:30 p.m. ET; ESPN+, FS-W, FS-O, NHL.TV

The Blue Jackets are 4-0-3 in their past seven road games. A 3-2 loss against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday ended Columbus' 12-game point streak (8-0-4), which was tied for the third-longest in Blue Jackets history.
The Kings, who lost 4-1 against the Nashville Predators on Saturday, are 2-4-1 in their past seven.

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Players to watch

Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski has five goals in his past three games.
Kings forward Alex Iafallo has seven points (three goals, four assists) during a six-game point streak.

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They said it

"We're fortunate we've strung together those wins and that helps that belief even more. A true test now is we lost a game. … Now, can you come back with your confidence and your swagger and play the way you're supposed to play? These are the things we're going to find out." -- Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella
"There's not many nights where you go, 'Where the hell is Alex tonight?' He's been pretty steady. If you asked me to pick one of the most consistent players, he would be in that pile full of guys, night in and night out." -- Kings coach Todd McLellan on Alex Iafallo

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Blue Jackets projected lineup

Gustav Nyquist -- Pierre-Luc Dubois -- Emil Bemstrom
Nathan Gerbe
-- Boone Jenner -- Nick Foligno
Sonny Milano -- Alex Wennberg -- Kevin Stenlund
Jakob Lilja -- Riley Nash -- Eric Robinson
Zach Werenski -- Seth Jones
Vladislav Gavrikov -- David Savard
Scott Harrington -- Markus Nutivaara
Elvis Merzlikins
Matiss Kivlenieks
Scratched: Ryan MacInnis, Gabriel Carlsson
Injured: Joonas Korpisalo (knee), Andrew Peeke (finger), Ryan Murray (lower body), Oliver Bjorkstrand (rib/oblique), Cam Atkinson (ankle), Josh Anderson (shoulder), Alexandre Texier (back), Dean Kukan (knee), Brandon Dubinsky (wrist)

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Kings projected lineup

Alex Iafallo -- Anze Kopitar -- Tyler Toffoli
Adrian Kempe -- Blake Lizotte -- Austin Wagner
Dustin Brown -- Jeff Carter -- Nikolai Prokhorkin
Kyle Clifford -- Michael Amadio -- Trevor Lewis
Sean Walker -- Drew Doughty
Alec Martinez -- Ben Hutton
Derek Forbort -- Matt Roy
Jonathan Quick
Jack Campbell
Scratched: Kale Clague, Matt Luff
Injured: Joakim Ryan (lower body)
Suspended: Kurtis MacDermid

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Status report

Nutivaara is expected to play after missing 27 games because of an upper-body injury. He was activated from injured reserve Sunday. … Atkinson will be a game-time decision. He sustained a high-ankle sprain against the Kings on Dec. 19. … Forbort will make his season debut after missing the first 43 games of the season because of a back injury. … Brown will return after missing four games because of pneumonia. … Lewis will play for the first time since sustaining an upper-body injury against the Buffalo Sabres on Dec. 21.

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Stat pack

Tortorella will coach his 1,300th NHL game. … Wennberg will play in his 400th NHL game. … Toffoli, who has three points (two goals, one assist) during a three-game point streak, will play in his 500th NHL game.