Pegame: Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Dallas Stars

In the Columbus Blue Jackets’ third game of the 2014-15 regular season, they face off at home tonight against the Dallas Stars. The Jackets won both of their first two games, and they look to tonight to win three straight, a feat which has never been accomplished in Jackets franchise history.

Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Jackets won their first game of the season in which they defeated the Carolina Hurricanes in an exciting 3-1 victory. Then came opening night. The Jackets faced the New York Rangers, a team that is shaping up to be one of Columbus’s biggest rivals. The fans were excited, the players were excited, and the game was all we had hoped it would be.

The Jackets carried the day on Saturday, winning their home opener in a decisive 5-2 victory in front of an amazing, energetic sell-out crowd at Nationwide. They’ll look to carry the momentum of their first two games with them tonight as they go to Dallas to face the Stars.

The Stars, on the other hand, have not had a very successful start to their season. On Thursday, the Stars faced the Chicago Blackhawks in their home opener, disappointingly losing that game 3-2 in a shootout. Then the Stars went to Nashville to face the Preds, and were disappointed that game as well, losing 4-1.

All that to say, the Jackets will be facing a team desperately in need of a win. Jackets fans know all too well what it’s like to start the season off on a losing streak. It’s a nerve-wrecking time, when the fans, coaches, and even the players start to doubt how the rest of the season will go.

Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

All that can be turned around, though, and quickly. The Stars will be looking for a win tonight, and the Jackets will have to find a way to overcome that desperation if they want to win tonight.

The Jackets, on the other hand, are riding a high note into tonight’s game. A win would mean setting a franchise record. They are far from desperate, but nonetheless motivated and in need of a win.

These two teams have had opposite starts to their seasons, which will create an interesting dynamic going into the game in Nationwide tonight. Add to that this game is the first time either team has faced an opponent from the other conference this season, and you have quite the show.

Moreover, the last time these two teams met was a very memorable one for Jackets’ fans. The Jackets and Stars met on April 9th last season, in a game rescheduled due to Rich Peverley‘s medical condition in the first period. The Jackets went into that game being right on the bubble of making the playoffs, and found a way to come away with a 3-1 win in Dallas. That game clinched the Jacket’s second-ever playoff appearance in franchise history.