Blue Jackets Brace for Showdown Against Hurricanes
The Blue Jackets brace as they prepare for a showdown with the Hurricanes in Columbus. The lineup will see a few forced changes and an expected goaltending start.
Roster and injuries
Jet Greaves is scheduled to start in net. Jack Johnson will return to the lineup after Mathieu Olivier left Sunday’s game with an upper-body injury.
Luca Del Bel Belluz was recalled Monday but is a healthy scratch. Dmitri Voronkov, Mathieu Olivier, Damon Severson, and Egor Zamula are listed as scratches.
Defender Brendan Smith remains on injured reserve after knee surgery. He is expected to miss three to four months, per the Jan. 8 update.
This day in Blue Jackets history
March 31 has produced several memorable moments for the franchise. In 2013, Columbus extended a home point streak to 12 games with a 2-1 overtime win over Anaheim.
On March 31, 2015, Jack Johnson scored 56 seconds into overtime as Columbus beat New Jersey 3-2. Brandon Dubinsky scored earlier on a penalty shot.
March 31, 2018 saw a late comeback fall short in Vancouver. Seth Jones had a four-point night and set a new single-season points mark for a Jackets defenceman.
On March 31, 2019, Sergei Bobrovsky posted his fourth shutout in 17 days. Columbus won 4-0 in Buffalo with multiple players having multi-point nights.
The numbers game
Columbus is 20-5-5 since Jan. 11 and leads the NHL in points percentage in that span. The team is 9-1-4 in its last 14 home games.
Zach Werenski has 77 points this season. He sits fifth in the franchise single-season rankings and leads NHL defensemen in multipoint games.
Adam Fantilli has scored eight goals in his last 18 games. He posted a 9-15-24 line across his last 24 contests.
Denton Mateychuk reached 12 goals and is tied for 12th among NHL defensemen. Only three other Jackets blueliners have reached at least 12 goals in a season.
Kirill Marchenko ranks second in the NHL with six shootout goals. He has converted on 10 of 16 career shootout attempts.
Jet Greaves is 12-2-3 in his last 18 appearances. His recent numbers include a 2.26 goals-against average and a .928 save percentage in his last seven games.
Blue Jackets defensemen have combined for 55 goals this season. That is a new franchise record and the most among NHL teams this year.
Columbus has scored first in 45 of 74 games. That ties Washington for the most first goals in the league.
Know the foe: Carolina Hurricanes
Rod Brind’Amour is in his eighth season as Carolina head coach. His teams have reached the playoffs every year under his leadership.
The Hurricanes average 3.47 goals per game and allow 2.92. Their power play converts at 23.7 percent.
Sebastian Aho leads Carolina with 74 points. Andrei Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis each sit near the top of the team scoring list.
Nikolaj Ehlers has been a strong offseason addition. Shayne Gostisbehere returned from a lower-body injury and paces the defense with 45 points.
Brandon Bussi, 27, emerged as the primary goaltender. He has a 27-6-1 record in 34 starts with a 2.45 GAA.
Carolina controls play at 5-on-5. They lead the NHL in shot attempt share with 60.2 percent.
Over the past two months, the Canes are 22-7-3. They averaged 3.8 goals per game and posted a 29.5 percent power-play rate in that stretch.
Series notes and trends
Columbus has won four straight home games in the series against Carolina. The season series stands even at one victory apiece.
Former Jackets forward Eric Robinson is in his second year with Carolina. He has recorded a 12-6-18 line in 59 games this season.
Filmogaz.com will monitor lineup updates and game-day developments. Expect final scratches and confirmations before puck drop.
