The walking wounded group of the Blue Jackets saw an addition and a subtraction before Tuesday night game in Tampa Bay.
The bad news is that the center Sean Curaly will be closed for the rest of the year with a broken toe, but the good news is that the number 1 defenseman Zach Werenski he’s back after missing two games due to a high hit he took early in the Anaheim game on April 17.
“If I’m healthy, I want to play,” Werenski said Tuesday after a morning skate. “I feel healthy right now. I feel good. Strange hit in Anaheim there, and for precautionary reasons I just wanted to take some time and make sure I’m okay. I’ve been feeling good ever since. I don’t want to.” just close it because I’m afraid something else might happen. It’s hockey, things happen. Like I said, if I’m healthy, I want to play, and I’m healthy, so I’m playing.”
Getting Werenski back, of course, is a big help with three games to go with a couple of contests against Tampa Bay and then the season finale against Pittsburgh. Werenski has had to miss 12 games this year with various injuries, but he said it never crossed his mind to reach the end of the season.
I think most guys would probably play in my situation,” he said. “For me, it’s a no-brainer. It never even crossed my mind that I was going to be out for the rest of the season. Obviously, if there was something wrong, it’s a different story, but I feel good and I feel healthy. It’s always fun to go out there and compete with the guys and try to win hockey games. There’s only a couple left, and then it’s a long summer, so I wanted to be a part of that and go all out at the end of the year and try to win some games.”
3 game keys
Batten down the hatches: The Lightning have averaged six goals per game in the last six contests, including a pair of eight-goal contests in the last three. Columbus has to be in your structure.
From defense to offense: Of course, the best way to not be chasing the game is to have the puck. That means strong, simple zone exits and a north-south game.
Go all out: With three games left in the season, there’s not much reason to hold back now. The Blue Jackets are understaffed, but they might as well throw everything they have at the Bolts.
Unable
The Blue Jackets have scored 249 goals this season, seven shy of matching the franchise record of 256 set in 2018-19. … Forward Jack Roslovic he has nine goals in the last seven games and a career-high 21. … Jakub VoracekThe 54 assists this season are the third-most in franchise history. … Voracek (5-55-59) has the most assists by an NHL forward in a season and scored fewer than 10 goals. … He is also three points shy of 800 (221-576-797) in his NHL career. … Cole Sillinger He has goals in four of the last seven games. His 15 goals are fourth-most in franchise history for a rookie, trailing only Pierre-Luc Dubois (20, 2017-18), Rick Nash (17, 2002-03) and boone jenner (16, 2013-14). … With 11 goals in the year, both Werenski and adam boqvist they are tied for sixth all-time in single-season counts among CBJ defensemen. … Werenski has 47 points, tying a career high and the third-most in a season for a CBJ defenseman. … With 26 wins on the season, Elvis Merzlikins it is the eighth in franchise history in a single season. The goalie has a .939 save percentage in his last five appearances. … Only 36 players in franchise history have played 82 games in a season, with defense Gustav Nyquist and defense andrew peek on pace to reach the total if they play in the last three games. … Nyquist is within two points of 400 in his NHL career (162-235-398) and his four goals on the season are tied for second in the NHL. He has eight assists in the last seven games. … The Blue Jackets have set a new franchise record this year with 23 wins since. Columbus also has nine wins when trailing after two periods, second in the NHL and tied for the most in franchise history. … Tampa Bay won the series opener this year with a score of 7-2 on Jan. 4 at Nationwide Arena.
projected alignment
(Subject to change)
Gus Nyquist – Jack Roslovic – Jakub Voracek
Yegor Chinakhov -Cole Sillinger- Oliver Björkstrand
eric robinson – justin danforth – Emil Bemstrom
Kent Johnson – Brendan Gaunce – carson meyer
Zach Werenski -Andrew Peeke
Vladislav Gavrikov – Nick Blankenburg
Dean Kukan – jake bean
Elvis Merzlikins (confirmed starter)
Jean Francois Berube
scratches: Gavin Bayreuther, gabriel carlson
Unavailable: Sean Curaly (foot, out of season); Adam Boqvist (lower body injury, day to day); patrick laine (upper body injury, day to day); joonas korpisalo (hip surgery, out of season); Boone Jenner (back, out for the season); Daniel Tarasov (hip surgery, out of season); Alexander Texier (indefinite leave)
List report: With Kuraly out and Werenski back in the lineup, Brendan Gaunce will enter the fray and Carlsson will be eliminated.
This day in CBJ history
April 26, 2013: The Blue Jackets re-signed winger Cam Atkinson to a two-year contract extension.
Reference-www.nhl.com