The Blue Jackets are on the highway tonight, taking over the Lightning in Tampa Bay. With two losses in a row and a fast turn-around in opposition to an elite opponent, the whole lot is lining up for disappointment. This crew wants a spark.
Yesterday’s recreation was fairly a letdown for the 14,000 or so in attendance at Nationwide Arena. I do know it was for yours actually, watching from my lounge. The Jackets have been sloppy at best, and by no means actually deserved to win that recreation.
Tonight, they tackle a crew that has been struggling. The Lightning have only one win of their final six video games. Still, they continue to be close to the highest of the Eastern Conference, and just like the Blue Jackets, they’ve rather a lot on the road tonight.
The Opponent
For greater than a decade, the Tampa Bay Lightning have been one of many NHL’s most elite groups. They proceed to be, at present sitting sixth within the NHL with 82 points (39-19-4). That has them second within the Atlantic Division, although they’ve a better factors proportion than the primary place Buffalo Sabres.
It looks like the personnel is irrelevant. No matter who is available in or out of their lineup, the Bolts simply hold discovering methods to maintain success. They sit sixth in the NHL in targets scored (219), and third in targets allowed (170).
Up entrance, they boast the league’s third leading scorer. Nikita Kucherov has 34 goals and 103 points in simply 58 video games this season, and like at all times, he has a terrific supporting solid. Blue Jackets killer Jake Guentzel is second in scoring, with 27 targets and 67 factors.
Then, it is a quick drop-off to Brandon Hagel (59) and Darren Raddysh (58). None of this consists of Brayden Point, who has solely performed in 44 video games. In quick, these guys have loads of weapons that may discover them a objective seemingly each time they want it.
As their report signifies, this crew may be very stingy defensively. And, after they do spring a leak, top-of-the-line goaltenders on this planet is there to bail them out. Andrei Vasilevskiy is having a little bit of a Renaissance in his profession, with 29 wins in his 42 begins.
Andrei Vasilevskiy the primary goalie off in the present day, there’s your doubtless #GoBolts starter tonight in opposition to Columbus.
Vasilevskiy hasn’t began in opposition to the Blue Jackets but this season.
— Benjamin Pierce (@BenjaminJReport) March 10, 2026
He boasts a .914% save proportion, 2.28 targets in opposition to common, and a couple of shutouts. With the Lightning having yesterday off, count on him of their crease tonight as they give the impression of being to bounce again from a wild 8-7 loss on Sunday.
The Good Guys
The Blue Jackets are shedding video games as a result of they’ve forgotten how you can defend. They are again to taking part in too passively in their very own finish, permitting an excessive amount of time and house for the opposition. Couple that with shoddy goaltending, and you’ve got a recipe for catastrophe.
Yesterday, they gave up 5 targets to one of many least productive groups within the NHL. If they play that means tonight, they are going to be fortunate to maintain the Lightning to fewer than 10 targets. I’m not being dramatic right here. They should play a heck of rather a lot higher with out the puck.
We know there will probably be a minimum of one lineup change tonight. Erik Gudbranson did not travel with the crew after struggling an undisclosed upper-body harm yesterday. Expect Egor Zamula to return into the lineup in his place.
Any different lineup adjustments will most likely not be introduced till Rick Bowness meets with the media later this afternoon. I’d count on to see Elvis Merzlikins in objective, on the second half of a back-to-back.
Three Keys to Success
1. Play tougher. I do not imply this within the sense of “they didn’t play hard yesterday”. I imply, be tougher on the puck. Throw your weight round, take away time and house defensively. No extra free lanes to the online for the opponent, whether or not they have the puck or not.
2. Greasy targets. It feels bizarre to say this, however I believed the photographs the Blue Jackets took yesterday have been too good. Too free and clear. Anton Forsberg made the saves when he might see them. But, when the Jackets began discovering deflections and getting site visitors to the online, they’d extra success.
3. Just win. Two in a row is greater than sufficient whenever you’re combating for a playoff spot. Whatever it takes to show the momentum tonight, discover a method to get it finished.
This is the third and ultimate matchup between these two groups this season. The Blue Jackets gained the primary two, however each have been with Jonas Johansson in objective for the Lightning. They will not have it fairly really easy tonight, with Vasilevskiy in objective.
Puck drop is scheduled for simply after 7:00 Eastern. Let’s go Jackets.
