Blue Jackets head coach Brad Larsen had a succinct answer after Wednesday night’s 6-0 loss to Calgary when asked if he was interested to see how his team would respond 24 hours later tonight against the New York Rangers.
“I am, yep,” he said.
There wasn’t much more to say, but it is true that tonight’s contest will be a bit of a litmus test to see how the Blue Jackets are able to bounce back after a lifeless effort against the Flames.
Columbus really didn’t have energy from the opening faceoff, but what concerns Larsen the most — and what he and the coaching staff showed the team during the morning meeting today — was how little the team had the puck because of how many individual battles they lost.
Video: Brad Larsen speaks to the media.
“It does come down to our competitiveness at the puck,” he said. “We’re showing it (on video), trying to get a better understanding of what that looks like. To get the puck, you have to work your tail off to get it back.”
Larsen added that he and his staff hunkered down after the game last night to work on video and to figure out solutions to the team’s problems, and he said he slept about 90 minutes as he went over the issues in his head.
Things won’t get any easier, either, tonight against the Rangers. First off, Larsen said forward Alexandre Texier, who is third on the team with 11 goals and sixth with 20 points, will be out for a while because of a hand injury suffered against the Flames. On top of that, a high-flying Rangers team that leads the Metropolitan Division will provide a challenge.
“We know what we’re in for,” he said. “We’ve played them already a few times this year and know the firepower they have. They play a very simple game. They’re very dangerous. They have excellent goaltending. There’s nowhere to hide. You have to go meet them head on.”
3 Keys to the Game
Competitiveness: Larsen spoke extensively this morning about being competitive at the puck and winning battles. Nothing strategic will matter unless the Blue Jackets bring more here than last night.
Win special teams: This is always a key, but it takes on special importance against a Rangers team that has top-10 power play and PK units. At the very least, you can’t let them steal the game here.
Structure: The Rangers have the weapons to score on any team. It’s easier said than done shutting down big guns like Panarin, Fox and Kreider, but you at least have to make it difficult on them.
Notable
With a team-best 16 goals, captain Boone Jenner has a 4-3-7 line in the last eight games. … Gustav Nyquist has a 6-5-11 line in the last 13 games and four multipoint contests in the last nine. He also has four shorthanded goals on the season, first in the NHL. … Zach Werenski’s 26:20 of average time on ice is third in the NHL. … Jakub Voracek is tied for fifth in the league with 22 primary assists. … Max Domi is two goals from 100 and six assists from 200 in his NHL career. … The Blue Jackets have trailed in 10 of their 18 wins this year and have five wins when trailing after two periods, tied with Florida for most in the NHL. … The Jackets have lost a pair of games this season to the Rangers – 4-0 at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 29 and 5-3 on Nov. 13 in Nationwide Arena – and are 1-4-0 in the series since 2019-20. Prior to that, Columbus was 9-3-1 over a three-season span against the team. … This game concludes the three-game season series. … The game closes a four-game homestand at Nationwide Arena.
Projected Lineup
(Subject to change)
Patrik Laine – Boone Jenner – Gus Nyquist
Max Domi – Cole Sillinger – Oliver Bjorkstrand
Jakub Voracek – Jack Roslovic – Emil Bemstrom
Eric Robinson – Sean Kuraly – Yegor Chinakhov
Zach Werenski – Andrew Peeke
Vladislav Gavrikov – Gavin Bayreuther
Jake Bean – Adam Boqvist
Joonas Korpisalo (confirmed starter)
Elvis Merzlikins
Scratches: Alexandre Texier (injury), Dean Kukan, Gabriel Carlsson
Injured Reserve: Justin Danforth (left knee sprain; six weeks as of Dec. 31); Daniil Tarasov (lower body; out indefinitely as of Jan. 4)
Taxi squad: None
COVID protocol: None
Roster Report: With Texier out, the Blue Jackets will enter Bemstrom back into the lineup after two straight healthy scratches. Korpisalo will go in net, while Bayreuther goes in for Kukan.
This Day in CBJ History
Jan. 27, 2004: The Blue Jackets acquired C Alexander Svitov and a third-round pick in the 2004 draft for D Darryl Sydor and a fourth-round pick in the 2004 draft.
Jan. 27, 2008: Rick Nash sets an NHL All-Star Game record by scoring a goal just :12 into the game en route to collecting the 15th hat trick in All-Star Game history at Philips Arena in Atlanta.
Jan. 27, 2009: Nash notched a hat trick, scoring all three CBJ goals, in a 3-2 overtime win against Detroit in Nationwide Arena. He scored on the power play in the second, then shorthanded later in the period before notching the OT winner at 3:27 of the final frame.
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