Columbus Blue Jackets: New York Islanders Preview

The Columbus Blue Jackets were completely embarrassed by the Edmonton Oilers, so they have to come off strong against the New York Islanders.

The New York Islanders are surprisingly still in the hunt for the Metropolitan Division. The New York Islanders are only two points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals which lead the division with 39 points.

This game is much bigger than it would have seen when the schedule came out before the season. The Blue Jackets are coming off an embarrassing performance. They will need to get on track and also have a chance to create some distance between them and the Isles.

The Blue Jackets struggled against the top center in the league, Connor McDavid, and the task does not get much easier with John Tavares comes to town. There is a question where Tavares is playing next year, but there is no question that Tavares is a franchise player that can take over games.

Tavares is definitely a player that the Columbus Blue Jackets need to keep an eye on. Along with Tavares Josh Bailey and Anders Lee are two players that need to be watched closely. Bailey actually is leading the Islanders with 35 points which is one more than Tavares.

The Columbus Blue Jackets cannot leave the goalie out to dry like they did against the Edmonton Oilers with the 2 on 1s that they had given up. The Islanders have offensive firepower, so the Blue Jackets have to stay in position.

Related Story: Dubinsky Out of the Lineup

The Blue Jackets pummeled the New York Islanders on opening night in Columbus, but cannot take this matchup lightly with the Islanders. The Blue Jackets should not lack motivation and are expected to come out stronger and stop the fall. Columbus will be missing Brandon Dubinsky from the lineup with him breaking bones in his face during a fight against the Oilers.