GDT: Game 56 - CBJ vs COL - 8 Feb, 7pm, @Nat

[Viqsi]

Having sleepwalked past this year's most hopeless team, we now get to see the NHL's stingiest defense versus the NHL's most productive offense. This could get interesting.

Notes and projected lineup per bluejackets.com:

Of Note
The Blue Jackets have points in nine straight games (8-0-1) as well as 17 consecutive games vs. Eastern Conference foes (13-0-4). … Oliver Bjorkstrand has 10 goals during his last nine games (10-3-13) including a four two-goal games. … Pierre-Luc Dubois has a 7-17-24 line in his last 23 games and is plus-17. He has eight points in his last five games. … Elvis Merzlikins has won seven straight starts with four shutouts. He has allowed eight goals in that span with a .965 save percentage. … Cam Atkinson is two goals from the 200 mark, while Seth Jones is two assists from 200 in his career. … Colorado won the first game of the season series between the teams, capturing a 4-2 victory Nov. 9. Emil Bemstrom and Zach Werenski scored for Columbus.

Projected Lineup
(Subject to change)

Nick Foligno - Pierre-Luc Dubois - Oliver Bjorkstrand
Gus Nyquist - Boone Jenner - Cam Atkinson
Sonny Milano - Riley Nash - Emil Bemstrom
Nathan Gerbe - Ryan MacInnis - Kevin Stenlund

Zach Werenski - Seth Jones
Vladislav Gavrikov - David Savard
Scott Harrington - Markus Nutivaara

Elvis Merzlikins
Matiss Kivlenieks

Scratches: Eric Robinson (injury), Andrew Peeke, Joonas Korpisalo (injury)

Roster Report: X

somebody forgot to fill something out, looks like

avalanche.nhl.com doesn't have a preview article up yet, but here's the projected lineup from their previous game:

Forwards
92 Gabriel Landeskog - 29 Nathan MacKinnon - 96 Mikko Rantanen
13 Valeri Nichushkin - 91 Nazem Kadri - 95 Andre Burakovsky
11 Matt Calvert - 41 Pierre-Edouard Bellemare - 37 J.T. Compher
83 Matt Nieto - 17 Tyson Jost - 72 Joonas Donskoi
Defensemen
27 Ryan Graves - 8 Cale Makar
49 Samuel Girard - 6 Erik Johnson
16 Nikita Zadorov - 28 Ian Cole
Goaltenders
31 Philipp Grubauer OR 39 Pavel Francouz
Healthy Scratches: Vladislav Kamenev, Calle Rosen
Injury Report: Colin Wilson (lower body, out indefinitely)

Scoresheet links (they'll work later tonight):
Game Summary - overall team info
Event Summary - player-specific info

Highlights of the Avs' last game:

Click to read more...

 

[Cowumbus]

Obtaining 2 points minimum in the next two games should be the goal. Hopefully we can at least get a point tonight, it should be interesting to see how we weather the storm.

 

[Johansen2Foligno]

Didn't we just play last night? I hope the players are calling their agents about OT

 

[Finner]

Maybe the best offence in the league arrives at Nationwide. This is interesting game. Can our offence score 3-5 goals what will be needed? Elvis and defence has been awesome but cant see they can keep Col offence in just 1 or 2 goals. So intense of the game will be furious Rantanen,Mackinnon,Landeskog there will be some speed. We cant win every game and if we lose today its fine, its against great west team so its not that bad. This game will be Def vs Off and id say Col will have many shots more than we have but our defence can keep straight sight for goalie. With great defensively game and counterattacks we bury this one 4-3 in OT. Goals Milano,Bjork,Jones and OT winner Foligno

 

[DougKnowsBest]

Not feeling good about this one. We have to loose eventually and the jig is up, we’ve been Spotted

 

[Viqsi]

Not feeling good about this one. We have to loose eventually and the jig is up, we’ve been Spotted

I'm not so worried about the team loosening up a little so long as we don't lose.

 

[MoeBartoli]

Several years ago on the mains, I was critical of Sakic as a GM, primarily for his handling of the Duchene circus. Looking now at his work, I’ve changed my tune - not just because they’re winning - but because of a nice roster he’s assembled thru trades and FA to add some backing to his big three.

Now that I’ve gotten the niceties out of the way, we need to go out there and kick their butts tonight.....especially since we will be there!

Notation: Ah, the importance of proofing example - when the first draft says lick instead of kick.

 

[Arch City Zach]

Will be at this game. It's always nice to see Matty back but I'm hoping Elvis and the defense can get us at least a point tonight.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Big test. Just grab a point

 

[Blindsummit]

Is it confirmed that Elvis will start tonight on a back to back?

 

[KCbus]

I was wondering the same thing. Before last night, I would have said Kivleniks goes tonight. But given that Elvis didn’t have to do much, that makes it more likely he could go again tonight.

 

[KCbus]

Team is on a huge roll. I’m going tonight, so if we get killed, y’all can blame me.

 

[Johansen2Foligno]

Will be at this game. It's always nice to see Matty back but I'm hoping Elvis and the defense can get us at least a point tonight.

All toilet seats will be left up in his honor

Going to be a busy night for maintenance

 

[Blindsummit]

I was wondering the same thing. Before last night, I would have said Kivleniks goes tonight. But given that Elvis didn’t have to do much, that makes it more likely he could go again tonight.

Indications are he will play but no official confirmation yet. I think he will be needed against the Avs offence. As you say he had a relatively easy game so he should be fine.

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

If they had any intention of playing Kivlenieks during this back to back, he would have played last night. In no alternate universe does it make sense to play Elvis against the worst team in the league and then sit him against one of the better teams.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Is it confirmed that Elvis will start tonight on a back to back?

he didn’t participate in morning skate, and Kiv did. So yeah it’s pretty official

 

[Papa Francouz]

Hey CBJ bros, quick favor to ask - please don’t start Elvis tonight.

 

[KCbus]

If they had any intention of playing Kivlenieks during this back to back, he would have played last night. In no alternate universe does it make sense to play Elvis against the worst team in the league and then sit him against one of the better teams.

I'm not sure they look at it that way.

Elvis is the better option, period. If it's possible at all to get him to play in both games, that's the ultimate best-case scenario. The only way that's possible is if you play him in the first one. After that, maybe he plays the second one or maybe he doesn't. But if you bench him for the first one, you don't even have a chance of it happening.

I mean, your idea about looking at the opponent is valid, but we've had back-to-backs before where the second opponent was the better one and the #1 goalie (whoever it was at the time) went first. So I don't know if the coaches look at it from the same point of view we do.

 

[KCbus]

And to continue that thought... there's also something to be said for not taking any opponent for granted, so you play your #1 unless you have a reason not to.

Yes, the Wings are terrible, but even though we dominated them, that game was one play away from being tied up for the overwhelming majority of it because we only scored once. If Kivleniks is in there and he gives up one softy, we're dropping points at home to the worst team in the league. You just never know.

 

[pled]

PLD is PPG in 2020 (4/11/15 in 15) hope he keep the pace with a point today

 

[pled]

Hey CBJ bros, quick favor to ask - please don’t start Elvis tonight.

don't start Mac ?

 

[Papa Francouz]

don't start Mac ?

Deal. Lord knows he needs a break from carrying our team on his back.

 

[RoyIsALegend]

PLD is PPG in 2019 (4/11/15 in 15) hope he keep the pace with a point today

What about this year(2020)?

 

[Viqsi]

Looks like we're facing MacKinnon regardless of any agreements here.

 

[ViD]

Expecting a low scoring one goal lead game