The quirky schedule for the Blue Jackets continues, as they travel to Minnesota to face the Wild on the second half of a back-to-back. It's another quick turn-around for a team that had all week to practice. Tonight, they have a chance to prove a lot to their fanbase and the rest of the NHL.
This is already the second time the Blue Jackets have faced this kind of back-to-back this season. Earlier in October, they had 5 days off before games at home against Pittsburgh, then in St Louis the very next night.
On this occasion, they got three days off, before playing last night against the New York Rangers; and traveling to Minnesota for a matchup against the Wild tonight. Again, they have to move to another time zone on an overnight trip. Strange.
After this one, they have to play again on Tuesday night, giving them 3 games in 4 days-before a stretch where they will only place once in 6 days. It doesn't make much sense. The Jackets are tied with the Kings for the fewest games played in the league (6). There are multiple teams with 10 games played.
The Wild sit right in between, with 8 games under their belt and a 5-2-1 record. But they have been off since Thursday, when they beat the St Louis Blues by a 5-4 final. They are a team with Stanley Cup aspirations, who should give the Jackets all they can handle tonight. Lets take a look at our three keys to success.
Avoid penalties either way.
We're going right back to the well with this one. It was one of our keys to success yesterday, and the Jackets were able to prevail because they didn't let penalties and special teams take over the game. I'm going one step further and saying avoid letting the Wild take penalties.
This team is at its best when they can roll all four lines and all three defense pairings. There isn't a lot of high-end skill here, so using their depth is key. When the penalties stack up, it's hard to get that rhythm back into the lines, and the game tends to get away from them.
Couple that with their dismal power-play (13.3%, 27th in the NHL) and penalty kill (66.7%, 29th); and it's not hard to see how important avoiding penalties is. Furthering my point: the Wild are 2nd on the power-play (33.3%) and 5th on the penalty kill (88.5%); but they are middle of the pack at even strength-just behind the Jackets. Lets keep this one at 5 on 5, please.
Expose their weaknesses.
Minnesota has a very skilled team. As I mentioned at the top: they have Stanley Cup aspirations, and they might be good enough to get there. However, they aren't perfect. In fact, there are two areas where I think the Blue Jackets have a distinct advantage.
Those areas are down the middle (center) and in their depth. Lets face it, Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, and Quinn Hughes are going to generate stuff tonight. That's bound to happen, no matter who they play against.
Where the Jackets can win is in their ability to roll out four centers who are better than the guys on the other side, and take the middle of the ice. And, in those bottom six matchups. Put them on their heels and try to wear them down, then throw out the top guys and try to find a greasy goal. That's how you overcome a top-heavy team.
Stick with the plan (again).
Last night, the Blue Jackets showed us what should be their baseline. They competed hard for 63 minutes, regardless the circumstances of the game and who was on the ice. Playing responsibly on both sides of the puck is the one thing you can control. They did that.
I mentioned in our recap article earlier today, if they play like that every night, they will get 3 or 4 goals in most games. That's why this has to be their baseline. They have to move their feet, check, and win puck battles all over the ice. Control the defensive side of the puck, then the offense will come.
To beat a team like Minnesota, they have to bring that game. Even on a back-to-back start, and even with only 23 hours between starts. Build upon last night's win, play the full 60 tonight, and see where the score is at the final horn. Win or lose, that would be a successful weekend for this team because they would be establishing their identity and culture.
It's the first of two matchups between these teams this season. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:00 tonight because this one is in the Central time zone. We'll be tuning in, follow us on Twitter/X for live reactions. Let's go Jackets!
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