Columbus Blue Jackets Staring Down the Barrel: Vegas Baby

An historic game for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Let’s get a Vegas perspective on the game.

This is going to be a good one folks. The Columbus Blue Jackets are in the desert to take on the best team in the NHL in the Vegas Golden Knights.

From playing against William Karlsson for the first time since the expansion to the test of playing in Vegas with all its distractions, there are plenty of stories surrounding this game. Not to mention the fact that the Jackets are looking to get two point against a team that is 18-2-2 at home.

We sat down and talked to Rich Cardinale of VegasHockeyKnight.com to get a Vegas perspective on the matchup. Be sure to read Rich’s work at VegasHockeyKnight.com and give him a follow on Twitter.

Lansing Murphy (LM): Tell us about this William Karlsson guy. Not too familiar with him…. how has he been?

Richard Cardinale (RC): I’m sure the fans of the Columbus Blue Jackets know all about what William Karlsson is doing with the Vegas Golden Knights. He’s been absolutely sensational since earning a top-six role. But let’s not get carried away, Golden Knights general manager George McPhee got extremely lucky selecting the 25-year old in the expansion draft.

He leads the entire Western Conference in goals with 25 to go along with 15 assists, 40 points and a +23 rating in 46 games played. He’s part of one of the most effective first lines in hockey with Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchessault. That line is a must watch in this game against the Blue Jackets. The Golden Knights players have a reputation for scoring against their former teams, so it wouldn’t surprise if the Marsta, Sweden native had a big night.

LM: Are you a believer in the “Vegas Flu”? If not how do you explain the dominance at home?

RC: I’m not a big believer in the “Vegas Flu,” and I’ll tell you why. Sure, the Golden Knights have the best home record in the NHL for a reason but its definitely not because of the “Vegas Flu.” Like Nationwide Arena, T-Mobile Arena can get very loud, and the fans are really starting to love hockey here in the desert.

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T-Mobile Arena is up there as one of the toughest environments to play in the NHL. The home team feeds off that energy from the rambunctious crowd, even visiting teams that come in here would say the same. But don’t forget, Vegas is an excellent team, and we have to give them credit for what they’ve accomplished thus far.

The “Vegas Flu” isn’t the reason why the Golden Knights are 18-2-2 on home ice, its the fans going crazy for their new team and the team’s pure skill and talent level.

LM: Do you think the VGK should still trade James Neal, as was the plan in the beginning, for a 1st round pick and go into the playoffs without him?

RC: James Neal is the number one trade piece the Golden Knights have right now. However, that’s what I thought before the season began and times have changed. The Golden Knights should not and will not trade James Neal at the trade deadline.

As you can see, the Vegas Golden Knights currently sit in first place in the NHL. They have a window to win the Stanley Cup in their first year of existence and beyond. Neal is one of those guys that has a ton of playoff experience, and Vegas will need that come time for the postseason.

If anything, I think the Golden Knights are looking to extend Neal. He loves it here, and he wants to be apart of this team fulltime. A first-round pick doesn’t entice me at all for trading the “Real Deal.”

Enough about you… what about the Jackets!

LM: What scares you most about this Columbus Blue Jackets team?

RC: If there’s one thing that scares me about this Jackets team is its high-end talent at the forward position. If the Jackets top two lines can assert themselves and posses the puck in the offensive zone, they have a great chance of beating the Golden Knights. However, if Columbus decides to roll four lines against Vegas, I would favor the Golden Knights.

Looking at the Golden Knights losses, they’ve had trouble containing top players like Connor McDavid, Patrik Laine, and others. The Jackets have players that can create chaos like Artemi Panarin, Josh Anderson, and Pierre-Luc Dubois. They’re a well-balanced group of forwards, but they aren’t four lines deep like Vegas.

I also love how active Seth Jones and Zach Werenski are on the blue line. They create so many offensive chances and are a massive part of the success of the Blue Jackets. Not to mention they’re fantastic in the defensive zone and know how to take care of the puck. If those players can put together a great effort, they have a good shot at beating the expansion franchise.

LM: How do you see the game tonight playing out?

RC: Honestly, I see this game going the Blue Jackets way. Columbus already stayed a few days in Vegas, so I think the so-called “Vegas flu” is out of their system. The Golden Knights just came back from a southeastern coast road trip with only one day in between to prepare.

With two world-class goalies in Marc-Andre Fleury and Sergei Bobrovsky potentially facing off, this should be an incredible game. This should be a game of chasing styles, so we’ll see who comes out on top. However, if I had to give a prediction, I think the Jackets win this one 4-2.

Next: Gambling Odds on CBJ Season and Vegas Game

Thanks to Rich for taking the time to give us the insiders look at the Golden Knights and the game tonight.

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