The Blue Jackets picked up an encouraging win against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday. They will look to run it right back this afternoon against the red hot Pittsburgh Penguins.
Everything came up CBJ in yesterday's win. The Jackets got the saves when they needed them, and some soft goals at the other end when their opportunities came about.
If you have seen the Penguins play over the last 20 or so years-especially against the Blue Jackets-you are well aware that they will probably not have the same luck today.
The Opponent
They were supposed to take a step back this year, but as this team has done for this entire generation: when Sidney Crosby dictates, they win. And he is playing at his absolute peak right now.
Sid has 23 goals and 45 points in 40 games, 9 clear of his next closest teammate in scoring. He's currently on a six game points streak (4 goals, 7 assists). Over that stretch, the Penguins are 5-1-0.
He's still surrounded with plenty of talent, even though many of them are long in the tooth. They have 8 players with 20 or more points so far this season, a list that doesn't even include Rickard Rakell, who has missed some time but capably plays on Sid's flank.
Today, they will be without their other superstar. Evgeni Malkin has not played since December 4th, and he still sits on the injured reserve. They will also be without defenseman Caleb Jones.
Overall, the Penguins are 19-12-9 (47 points), currently in the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. They played yesterday and won big, beating the Red Wings 4-1 in Detroit.
The Good Guys
Saturday afternoon gave us arguably the best full 60 minute effort the Blue Jackets have had all season long. They scored just 3 minutes into the game and were the better team throughout.
With that effort and the lack of available bodies, don't expect any lineup changes ahead of this afternoon's matchup with the Penguins. The only question will be who is in goal.
Jet Greaves has been incredible of late, winning 5 of his last 6 starts and posting a .953% save percentage in that span. The team has allowed just 8 goals in that stretch.
Jet is now tied for 9th in the NHL in save percentage (min. 10 games played). He's also 5th in the NHL in goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck.
Does Dean Evason go back to him in another back-to-back sequence? Or does Elvis Merzlikins get thrown to the wolves this afternoon? We'll probably have to wait until warm-ups to see.
Three Keys to Success
1. Stay out of the box. The Pittsburgh power-play is operating at nearly 30% (3rd in the NHL). Roughly 25% of their offense for the entire season has come with the extra man. The Jackets have to limit their power-play chances today. Three minor penalties probably means at least one Penguins goal.
2. Ignore the momentum swings and stay in your structure. A whole sentence here, but it's vital. How many times have we seen the Crosby-era Penguins come right down the ice and score a goal after something big happens? The Jackets need to stick to their structure, regardless the situation.
3. Win the third period. This has to be here. When they have won third periods, they have won hockey games.
Puck drop is scheduled for just after 3:00 Eastern Time, with a massive 2 points on the line. The Jackets are 1-0-1 against the Penguins so far this season. A win today will clinch the season series. Let's go Jackets.