Columbus Blue Jackets: 4 Things to Expect From the Red Wings Season Opener

Ahh – the smell of vulcanized rubber and carefully manicured ice permeate the air. As the Columbus Blue Jackets embark on a fresh NHL season, we take a look at what to expect from the young squad in their season opener versus the Detroit Red Wings.

The first game of the season. What a rush. What a slop fest it can be. If the Columbus Blue Jackets play anything like they have the last few preseason games, we can expect a few things.

One of them being an absolute roller coaster performance. Time to buckle in and dive a bit further for detail.

1. Puck Handling Madness

I expect there to be a lot of careless puck handling on the opening night, particularly from the young defensemen, and sadly David Savard. This should lead to a handful of turnovers in the defensive zone and (hopefully not) multiple scoring chances for the Wings.

Sergei Bobrovsky got destroyed by the Penguins in one-on-one chances just last week. Let’s hope the return of Ryan Murray and cleaner play from Markus Nutivaara help reduce those.

2. Korpisalo’s Chance to Shine

To the surprise of many, Joonas Korpisalo is getting the nod for the opener versus the Red Wings. Last year the Jackets opened with a back-to-back and rotated Bob and Korpi. This year they just flip-flopped the order and Korpi’s up first.

What’s this mean for the CBJ’s chances of a win tomorrow night?

Well – Korpisalo hasn’t exactly been rock solid in the preseason but he’s shown periods of brilliance including some incredible saves in the final preseason game against the Chicago Blackhawks. Having declined in all major goalie statistics for three years straight, Korpi needs to show early on that he can be relied on for consistent, quality play in net. Still shaking off some rust and finding his groove, I don’t see him letting in less than three goals.

Columbus Blue Jackets

3. First Line Still Smoking

One thing that has maintained continuity is the first line’s prowess. Atkinson and Panarin have a dynamic chemistry that hasn’t lost a step since last year’s regular season fury down the stretch. It showed early and often throughout their brief preseason.

Werenski is primed for his best season yet. The power play can’t be worse – in fact, I think it will shoot into the league’s top 10. Hopefully some of this flashes in the opener and Jackets nation will have four or five goals to celebrate.

4. A First in Columbus

For the first time in CBJ history, I expect all four Columbus Blue Jackets lines to pose a scoring threat to the opposing defense. The Wings will be the first to have to deal with a fourth line with two dynamic wings and a crafty veteran who can help get them looks in scoring position.

I expect the Jackets to use this to their advantage throughout the season, but we get to see it premiered against the Wings in the opener.

Prediction

My final score prediction is not for the lover of solid defense, but pucks find the net often.

CBJ win 5-4.