Game Day Edition: Tampa Bay Lightning @ Columbus Blue Jackets

Tampa Bay Lightning @ Columbus Blue Jackets

Monday, January 13th, 2014, 7:00PM

Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio

January 24, 2012; Tampa FL, USA; Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Columbus Blue Jackets will be back at Nationwide Arena tonight after a big 6-3 road win over the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday night. Columbus admittedly came out slow and ended the first period trailing 1-0, but they were able to sort themselves out and score four unanswered goals in less than nine minutes during the second period. While Winnipeg attempted to chip away at the Columbus lead, the Jackets were able to hold on for the win.

Tonight, the Jackets will attempt to win a season high fourth consecutive game. However, the team they are facing, the Tampa Bay Lightning, will not be an easy out. In their last 10 games, Tampa Bay is 6-3-1, and since mid-December are 7-1 on the road. Most recently, the Lightning ended the Philadelphia Flyers 10 game home winning streak.

The last time these two teams faced off, it was December 3rd, and the Jackets held on for a 1-0 win, despite losing Sergei Bobrovsky to a groin injury late in the game. It is expected that Bobrovsky will get a chance at redemption tonight.

Stats

• Since mid-December the Tampa Bay Lightning are 7-1 away from home. This is a vast improvement over their 0-5-2 record on the road between November 16th and December 14th. [ NHL.com ]
• The Columbus Blue Jackets are over .500 for the first time since the 3rd game of the season [ NHL.com ]
• Both the Blue Jackets and the Tampa Bay Lightning have had a turn of fortunes lately, and their respective PDO reflect this. Tampa is 5th overall with a 101.3 PDO. The Blue Jackets are 8th overall 101.1. [ Extra Skater ]
• The Lightning’s RelCF% is also among the NHLs best; their 52.2% puts them 7th overall. [ Extra Skater ]

Noteable Noteables

"We believe in ourselves in here and we know when we play the way that we can, things will go our way and we’ve just got to keep focused on that"

-Boone Jenner after Saturday’s win over the Jets [ NHL.com ]

• The Blue Jackets will have their morning skate at 10 am today. There are not many lineup changes from Saturday night expected.

The Union and Blue Song For the Game:

Less Than Jake – “My Money Is On The Longshot

Last time the Jackets played the Lightning, we went with Less Than Jake for the song of the game, and it worked out pretty good. So with that, the Song For the Game this time around is off LTJ’s newest release. It’s a hilarious music video and features several personalities from the punk / ska scene lipsynching to the song.