What a season. The 2017 Regular season ends and the Columbus Blue Jackets are heading to Pittsburgh. The first round series against the Penguins is what it’s all about.
In what should be the Eastern Conference Finals, the Columbus Blue Jackets are just a few days from taking on the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round. We can cry and complain about the format but what else do you want as a fan? To be the best, you have to beat the best. So lets see the CBJ do it in round one.
The defending Stanley Cup Champs will have home ice advantage for the opening round of the playoffs. The series is the best the first round will see and is a rematch of the 2014 series which was one of the best in the last ten years.
So many great story lines and so many great games set to be played. We’ll have it all covered for you here on Union and Blue. The schedule starts with the opener on Wednesday in Pittsburgh. The rest of the schedule looks like this.
- Game 1: Wednesday, April 12, 7:30. Columbus at Pittsburgh
- Game 2: Friday, April 14, 7. Columbus at Pittsburgh
- Game 3: Sunday, April 16, 6. Pittsburgh at Columbus
- Game 4: Tuesday, April 18, 7:30. Pittsburgh at Columbus
- Game 5: Thursday, April 20, TBD. Columbus at Pittsburgh
- Game 6: Sunday, April 23, TBD. Pittsburgh at Columbus
- Game 7: Tuesday, April 25, TBD. Columbus at Pittsburgh
“Buckle Up Pittsburgh”
Pittsburgh better buckle up. The Columbus Blue Jackets seemed to have work out the kinks in the last few games. The offense is playing better and the goals seem to be coming more regularly. A healthy Oliver Bjorkstrand is playing well and the lines are all playing better in their last two games.
Zach Werenski should be fully recovered for the first round, giving the Jackets a healthy top pairing. That is something the Pens are missing out on with Kris Letang sidelined for the playoffs.
And the CBJ have the Vezina winner for 2016-2017 in net. The Pens are going to need those buckles done up tight, because the Jackets are going to give them all they can handle and more.
Its what we’ve all been waiting for since the end of the 2014 series. It’s the Columbus Blue Jackets taking on the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Let’s Go!