The Columbus Blue Jackets host the New York Rangers at Nationwide Arena tonight for the first meeting between the two Metro Division rivals in 2017-18.
Coming off an exciting overtime win over divisional foe Carolina, the Columbus Blue Jackets will face off against another Metro opponent tonight. This will be the third divisional game in the team’s first four games.
This will also be the first of a back-to-back for Columbus. After the Rangers come to Nationwide, the Blue Jackets will be headed to Minnesota to face off against the Wild. This will be the Jackets’ second back-to-back on the season.
Rick Nash once again returns to Columbus tonight. The vitriol toward Nash has resided in recent visits, so expect the same boos directed at him tonight. Nash will be a free agent in the summer, so that is a storyline to watch in the future.
Game Information
- Game: New York Rangers vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (7:00 p.m. ET)
- Location: Nationwide Arena (Columbus, Ohio)
- TV: NHL Network, Fox Sports Ohio
- Radio: 97.1 FM (The Fan)
Projected CBJ Lines
Panarin — Wennberg — Atkinson
Milano — Foligno — Bjrokstand
Calvert — Dubinsky — Anderson
Dubois — Sedlak — Dalpe
Werenski — Jones
Johnson — Savard
Murray — Carlsson
Bobrovsky
Korpisalo
Projected NYR Lines
Kreider — Zibanejad — Buchnevich
Nash — Hayes — Zuccarello
Vesey — Desharnais — Miller
Grabner — Carey — Cracknell
Staal — McDonagh
Skjei — Shattenkirk
Holden — Kampfer
Lundqvist
Pavelec
Both projected lines combinations are via Daily Faceoff with the only player change being Zac Dalpe replacing Markus Hannikainen, per coach John Tortorella.
Next: NYR-CBJ: Players to watch, keys to victory and prediction
Injury Report
As far as injuries go, the Blue Jackets only have Boone Jenner out now as Jordan Schroeder (suspected concussion) is going to Cleveland for a conditioning assignment after being hurt during the preseason.
For New York, Jesper Fast is still out of the lineup with a hip injury. The winger had hip surgery during the offseason and isn’t expected back until late-October or early-November.