Nashville Predators
The Predators seemed to dominate New Jersey, but they barely hung in there against the Avalanche. How will the Predators fare against a better-than-average Blue Jackets squad?
A concern for me is the lack of secondary scoring. Eeli Tolvanen, Nick Cousins, Luke Kunin, and Colton Sissons are simply not showing up on the scoresheet.
Columbus Blue Jackets
I had to look twice at Columbus’s record (12-7-0) on the season. They’ve had a lot of loss (in multiple ways) over the last season, and I expected them to be struggling a bit more. They’re not.
Oliver Bjorkstrand leads Columbus with 19 points (6 goals, 13 assists). Former Flyer Jakub Voracek has 18 points, 17 of which are assists. Defenseman Zach Werenski has 15 points (5 goals, 10 assists).
Elvis Merzlikins has a very nice .929 Sv% over 12 contests. Joonas Korpisalo has skated in 7 games this season.
Keep Your Eye on This Guy
I’ve been very wrong in my “keep your eye on this guy” sections lately, but I’ll suggest you keep your eye on Elvis Merzlikins for the Jackets and Filip Forsberg for Nashville. Forsberg has a lot weighing on him – injuries, a new contract, overturned goals. Can he get angry and start the scoring deluge?
Reasons to Watch
-Something something cozy and watching hockey (winky face)
-I love watching the Jackets, even if Patrik Laine is not currently skating.
-Elvis Merzlikins
-Juuse Saros’s mustache
Tonight’s Theme Song
How to Watch
Puck drop is at 7:00 Central. Bally Sports has the game and 102.5 The Game has the radio call.