From Bad to Brad
Last season, THE Columbus Blue Jackets finished dead last in the makeshift Florida Hockey Now Central Division, even behind a Detroit Red Wings team that hadn’t added Raymond or Seider yet. Thus marked the end of the John Tortorella and Seth Jones era in Columbus. New head coach Brad Larsen has improved the situation, though the Jackets are still not ready for primetime and will not make the postseason this year.
The Jackets beat Montreal 6-3 last night, so they will be feeling some confidence coming into this game. But that also means they will be the less rested team, with Florida able to take a day off after their 5-4 victory over San Jose.
Florida beat Columbus in seven of their eight meetings last season, with the lone Columbus (alleged) triumph coming in a shootout on their home ice in Ohio. The Jackets shook things up after their horrific 2021 season, and they will have a lot of new faces in the lineup when the Cats come to town Monday night. One of the most notable names is Jakub Voracek, who has one goal and twenty-six assists somehow. Even more remarkably, twenty-three of those are primary assists. Another is Adam Boqvist, a defenseman who has thrived on Zach Werenski’s flank after arriving via Chicago. Rookie Cole Sillinger has become one of very few 2021 draftees to play regularly in the NHL this year.
Familiar faces like Max Domi and Oliver Bjorkstrand are enjoying better seasons at Nationwide Arena than they did in last year’s nightmarish campaign. And of course, Barkov’s BFF Patrik Laine is coming in with a hot stick, scoring twice in the Jackets’ win in Montreal on Sunday.
New York State of Mind
Looking ahead to the Panthers’ upcoming showdown at the Garden, the Panthers will be looking for a bit of revenge. Despite absolutely shelling Igor Shesterkin and dominating all facets of the game, New York came out ahead in the teams’ first meeting in Manhattan, winning four to three. Both teams will have two full weeks off after their showdown tomorrow night, so expect Shesterkin to go again for Gerard Gallant’s team. Adam Fox will be absent from New York’s blue line on Tuesday, undoubtedly a huge loss for the blueshirts.
The Rangers have succeeded on three fronts in spite of their poor team metrics; their goaltending has been exceptional, their power play is consistently strong, and their best players are at the top of their game. The Panthers didn’t give up any five-on-five goals at Madison Square Garden, in spite of the loss. Chris Krieder scored on the powerplay, where he has fifteen of his thirty goals, the highest number on the PP in the league. Fox scored a shorthanded goal, and the Panthers gave up two in just over forty seconds of four-on-four time. Clearly the key in this matchup on Tuesday will be to keep the game at five on five, where the Panthers will have a sizable advantage of play.
Shesterkin looked awfully mortal in the return match-up at FLA Live Arena, gifting Carter Verhaeghe the go-ahead goal in the third period and ultimately letting in four goals that night in a rare night his team scored three times and got zero points. He can be beaten if the Panthers are able to tilt the ice the way they have in many points this year.