Now comes the hard part for the Blue Jackets.
After an impressive 4-3-1 start while playing teams outside the Metropolitan Division, it’s time for the Jackets to stare down their biggest challenge of the past three years. They’re welcoming the New York Islanders (3-4-2) to Nationwide Arena on Wednesday for the first of two visits by their divisional foe this season, which officially starts division play in Columbus.
More:Columbus Blue Jackets down Edmonton Oilers in 6-1 blowout: 3 takeaways
That hasn’t been a joyous occasion since 2021-22 for the Blue Jackets, who’ve gone a paltry 23-48-7 against Metro teams in that span while also going 66-81-21 against the NHL’s other three divisions combined. That’s a .340 points percentage against their own division and .455 against the rest of the league, including .500 the past three years against the Western Conference (42-42-12).
“It’s good division, obviously,” Blue Jackets center Justin Danforth said Wednesday morning. “It’s a hard division to play in, but this year we need to win more of those games than we lose. I think with the different style we’re playing this year, it’s not like we’ll ‘surprise’ teams in this division but we’ll be harder to play against.”
The Blue Jackets’ current record has nearly identical splits the past three years, including 2-2-1 against Western Conference teams and 2-1-0 against the East’s Atlantic Division. Working in the Blue Jackets’ favor against the Islanders, however, is a scheduling quirk.
The Isles’ 3-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday in Elmont, New York, makes them the sixth of nine teams to play Columbus on the second leg of a back-to-back. The Jackets began the week with a 6-1 romp on home ice against the Edmonton Oilers, so they’re fully rested.
“Tonight’s a big test,” Danforth said. “It’s a fun game to play at home. They’re on a back-to-back, it’s a huge game for us to keep momentum, so we’ve got to be ready to go.”
Check here for updates and analysis on the matchup before, during and after the game.
Columbus is going with Elvis Merzlikins again, after the Blue Jackets’ most tenured and highest-paid backstop came within 28.6 seconds of pitching a shutout Monday against the Oilers. Merzlikins has faced the Islanders four times in his career, going 1-3-0 with a 3.08 goals-against average, .906 save percentage and no shutouts.
Roy didn’t name his starting goalie, but the expectation is that Semyon Varlamov will get the net after Ilya Sorokin played Tuesday against the Ducks. Varlamov, 36, has faced the Blue Jackets 19 times in his career and boasts an 11-5-2 record with a 2.18 GAA and .937 save percentage, including two victories over Columbus last season that included a shutout.
Morning skate report ― The Islanders didn’t hold a full morning skate after playing Tuesday in New York. The handful who skated Wednesday at Nationwide Arena included defenseman Alexander Romanov, who’s day-to-day with an upper-body injury, forward Pierre Engvall and forward Oliver Wahlstom.
Forward Matt Martin appears to be returning to the lineup in place of Engvall, who could be scratched after playing Tuesday against the Ducks. Islanders coach Patrick Roy said the coaching staff continues to mix and match line combinations while looking for something that produces more goals.
Here’s a look at how they might line up:
Forward lines
Simon Holmstrom — Bo Horvat — Casey Cizikas
Maxim Tysplakov — Brock Nelson — Kyle Palmieri
Anders Lee — Jean-Gabriel Pageau — Mathew Barzal
Matt Martin — Kyle MacLean — Hudson Fasching
Defense pairings
Mike Reilly — Noah Dobson
Adam Pelech — Ryan Pulock
Dennis Cholowski — Scott Mayfield
Goalies
Semyon Varlamov
Ilya Sorokin
Scratched: F Pierre Engvall, F Oliver Wahlstrom
Injured: D Alexander Romanov (upper body), F Anthony Duclair (lower body)
Morning skate report ― The Blue Jackets held an optional skate, so they didn’t skate line rushes. Head coach Dean Evason said he’s going with the same lineup as Monday’s victory against Edmonton. Here’s the expected lineup:
Forward lines
Yegor Chinakhov — Sean Monahan — Kirill Marchenko
Mikael Pyyhtia — Adam Fantilli — Cole Sillinger
Zach Aston-Reese — Justin Danforth — Mathieu Olivier
James van Riemsdyk — Sean Kuraly — Kevin Labanc
Defense pairings
Zach Werenski — Ivan Provorov
Jake Christiansen — Damon Severson
Jack Johnson — Jordan Harris
Goalies
Elvis Merzlikins
Daniil Tarasov
Scratched: D David Jiricek
Injured: F Boone Jenner (shoulder surgery), D Erik Gudbranson (shoulder surgery), F Dmitri Voronkov (shoulder), F Kent Johnson (shoulder) and F Gavin Brindley (fractured finger)
Not a Blue Jackets update, per se, but some notable news about an NHL star who was hurt in Monday’s game at Nation wide Arena. Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid will miss two to three weeks with an ankle injury sustained on his first shift against the Blue Jackets.
The superstar center was injured after crossing into the Blue Jackets’ zone in front of the Columbus bench, where defenseman Zach Werenski reached for a poke check and inadvertently tripped McDavid. The fall sent McDavid crashing into the boards on the right wing, where his left skate jammed into the yellow kick plate at the bottom. He got up, finished a 37-second shift and left the game for medical assessment without returning.
McDavid is the Oilers’ leader in assists (7) and is tied with Leon Draisaitl for the team lead in points (10).
Referee: Furman South (13)
Referee: Kelly Sutherland (11)
Lines official: Andrew Smith (51)
Lines official: Jesse Marquis (86)
Game lines and odds from BetMGM as of Wednesday, Oct. 30
Here’s a look at the Blue Jackets’ schedule for October, along with start times, television, and radio information of upcoming games:
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 30Time: 7 p.m.Location: Nationwide Arena (Columbus, Ohio)
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