Staring Down the Barrel: Columbus Blue Jackets Struck by Lightning?

How does a Lightning insider think the Columbus Blue Jackets match up against Tampa Bay?

A huge game on the Gulf Coast tonight as the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Columbus Blue Jackets. The loaded lightning were the preseason favorites to win the east and are loaded top to bottom.

The Jackets aren’t too shabby though and come in with a two game winning streak. After a thrilling come from behind victory against the Panthers, the CBJ look to finish up their Florida road trip with a big two points against Steven Stamkos and the Lightning.

Ahead of the big Saturday night showdown I sat down with Tasha St. Pierre, site expert at BoltByTheBay.com. Tasha has been a Lightning insider for years and she gave us some great perspective on the game tonight.

Be sure to follow Tasha on Twitter and head to BoltsByTheBay.com to read her great work.

Lansing Murphy (LM): If you were the GM of the CBJ, how would you handle the Artemi Panarin situation?

Tasha St. Pierre (TSP): If a player truly doesn’t want to be on a team, the best thing a General Manager can do is to let him go. However, that being said, the General Manager has to do what they need to do in order to protect the team.

Panarin is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of the season and if the GM waits until the last minute, they could lose him altogether and get nothing in return. If there are absolutely no hopes of signing him to an extension, they need to make a move now before the team comes away empty-handed.

LM: Where do you think the Lightning have the biggest matchup advantage over the CBJ?

Columbus Blue Jackets

TSP: The Tampa Bay Lightning has a huge advantage when it comes to the third line. The line combination of Alex Killorn, Anthony Cirelli, and Mathieu Joseph has proven to be a dangerous combination.

Killorn brings a lot of veteran experience to the line. Anthony Cirelli has a hint of experience combined with the fire of someone just making his way into the NHL, which has made him a valuable asset to the Lightning lineup. Then, we have Mathieu Joseph. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see his potential. He has been absolutely skating his tail off over the first two games of the season, and if he continues to display that level of skill, it is only a matter of time before the floodgates open up and the goals start flowing.

LM: What part of this CBJ team scares you the most?

TSP: Without a doubt, the answer to this question has to be Sergei Bobrovsky. He is an all-around solid goaltender who can hold his own between the pipes. If the Lightning offense wants to put on a show tonight, they are going to have to figure out how to solve Bobrovsky first.

LM: How do you see tonights game playing out?

TSP: The answer to this question depends greatly on the Lightning offense. The Bolts have a lot of offensive firepower on their roster; however, they have been incredibly silent over the first two games of the season. If players like Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos really open up and start putting pucks on the net, the Blue Jackets could be in for a really tough game.

Thanks again to Tasha for sitting down with us and discussing tonight’s huge matchup.