GDT: Game 69 - CBJ at EDM - 7 Mar, 10pm

[Viqsi]

The team gets to show off on Hockey Night In Canada tonight. Hopefully it's a decent showing.

Notes and projected lineup per bluejackets.com:

Of Note
Columbus has points in 32 of 39 games (21-7-11). … The team's 15 overtime losses lead the NHL. … Werenski leads all NHL defensemen with a CBJ-record 20 goals from the blue line this season. He is the first-ever Blue Jacket to reach 20 goals in a season and just the second blueliner in the league to hit the milestone the past three seasons (Toronto's Morgan Rielly, 20 last year). … Werenski is also two games from 300 in his career. ... Emil Bemstrom has scored in four of six games while Nick Foligno has a 4-3-7 line in his last seven games. Gus Nyquist has goals in two straight. … Alexander Wennberg is one point from 200 in his career. … The Blue Jackets are in the midst of a stretch of six straight games vs. Western Conference foes. … The Blue Jackets are a combined 11-3-2 on Western Canada trips since 2014-15. ... Columbus has played 42 one-goal games this season out of 68.

Projected Lineup
(Subject to change)

Gustav Nyquist - Boone Jenner - Nick Foligno
Alexander Wennberg - Pierre-Luc Dubois - Emil Bemstrom
Kevin Stenlund - Riley Nash - Eric Robinson
Jakob Lilja - Devin Shore - Stefan Matteau

Vladislav Gavrikov - David Savard
Ryan Murray - Zach Werenski
Scott Harrington - Andrew Peeke

Joonas Korpisalo
Matiss Kivlenieks

Scratches: Oliver Bjorkstrand (injury), Nathan Gerbe (injury), Ryan MacInnis, Markus Nutivaara, Gabriel Carlsson, Elvis Merzlikins

Roster Report: The Blue Jackets used the same forward lines and defensive pairs in practice Friday as they did in Wednesday night's loss at Calgary. Merzlikins practiced again but it is unclear if he will suit up in Edmonton.

oilers.nhl.com has a preview article with some notes:

By the Numbers:
Draisaitl's 110 points are 3rd most in a season by an Oilers player since 1989-90. ... Draisaitl has at least a single point in an NHL-high 56 games, 33 multi-point games (1st), 14 three-point games (T-1st) and five four-point outings (T-1st). ... The Oilers have the highest power play in the NHL at 29.8 percent, going 59-for-198. ... The team's 29.8 rate would be the highest in a season in franchise history and the fourth-highest in a season in NHL history. ...

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

Highlights of the Oilers' last game:

Click to read more...

 

[rotsbu]

I'm the optimistic type, but the CBJ seem to always lay an egg against the Oilers. Hope springs eternal...

 

[Skolman]

Hey fellas, incase any Jackets fans are curious as to what the Oilers lineup will look like tonight

Hopefully it's a good one!

 

[Cyclones Rock]

If the CBJ win and hold McDrai to a few points between them, I will be shocked.

I will probably be shocked given how this team has outplayed my projections for them by a very wide margin.

 

[Johansen2Foligno]

I will be at the game.

Go Jackets!!

 

[CBJWerenski8]

 

[Viqsi]

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

If the CBJ win and hold McDrai to a few points between them, I will be shocked.

I will probably be shocked given how this team has outplayed my projections for them by a very wide margin.

I was thinking this game is like a handful of others that, going in, looked like ‘this will be the one that tells’ games. They haven’t won all of the previous ones, yet are still in it. So yeah I expect to lose this one and figure that’s all she wrote but we’ll still be in it a week from now.

The f***?

 

[MoeBartoli]

I know this sounds mean, but announcements on Murray being out should be eliminated and saved to only announce he will be playing. Right now he makes fewer appearances than The Rock in WWE and it’s a shame because this team is much better when he’s in the line-up.

 

[DJA]

Really like what Murray brings to the lineup but I’m about ready to move on.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

We usually get rag dolled by Edmonton so I expect much of the same.

 

[KCbus]

I know this sounds mean, but announcements on Murray being out should be eliminated and saved to only announce he will be playing. Right now he makes fewer appearances than The Rock in WWE and it’s a shame because this team is much better when he’s in the line-up.

It doesn't matter how it sounds.

 

[CharlotteJacket]

Wennberg and Murray are two peas just in different pods. Once in a blue moon when Wennberg scores, everyone gets excited and thinks "Wenny's back" but it never lasts while Murray, if he plays we all hope he's over the injury bug, but that never lasts either.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Edmonton has out scored us 22-9 in the last 5 meetings (4-1) against us. Our last win was when Thomas Vanek had a hat trick in 2018.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

I was thinking this game is like a handful of others that, going in, looked like ‘this will be the one that tells’ games. They haven’t won all of the previous ones, yet are still in it. So yeah I expect to lose this one and figure that’s all she wrote but we’ll still be in it a week from now.

So would it be fair to say that you consider tonight meaningful, but not critical?

 

[ZipCity]

Nicked himself shaving, out 2-4 months

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

I feel like I will probably watch more of the Crew game on TV tonight.

 

[KCbus]

Nicked himself shaving, out 2-4 months

The sad part is that I would totally believe that.

 

[ViD]

If the CBJ win and hold McDrai to a few points between them, I will be shocked.

I will probably be shocked given how this team has outplayed my projections for them by a very wide margin.

Gavy and Savy will take care of those two

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Gavy and Savy will take care of those two

 

[MoeBartoli]

Is that the same as....?

 

[NotWendell]

I predict a 4-0 loss and me switching channels to the Crew game before the end of the first period. (I hope everyone gets to make fun of this post before we have to set out clocks forward)

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

How many shots from Nutivaara does Korpisalo face tonight?

 

[Monstershockey]

After watching two awful Monsters games the last two days, it would be nice to see a good game tonight, if I don't fall asleep first.

 

[Jyrki]

Miraculously we're still in a playoff spot. It'll also take a miracle to contain McDrai...