Due to an unexpected water main pipe break at the event level inside the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, the Columbus Blue Jackets’ final home game of their now seven game home stand concludes against the Vegas Golden Knights.
This is the first matchup between these two young organizations in months, being a 6-4 Columbus win on March 13, 2022.
Vegas is a changed and motivated team this season, after missing the playoffs for the first time in their ever franchise history.
The Golden Knights changed the team behind the bench and with the players on the ice.
Out went Peter BeDoer to Dallas; in came Bruce Cassidy who was with Boston last season.
Evgenii Dadanov was traded to Montreal for the contract of Shea Weber; Max Pccioretty and Dylan Coghlan were moved for futures considerations due to the salary cap; Robin Lehner and Nolan Patrick have been placed on LTIR due to injuries.
In free agency, Jack Dugan joined New Jersey; Ben Jones and Oscar Dansk moved to Calgary; and Mattias Janmark headed to Edmonton.
Signing with Vegas included forwards Spencer Foo, Sakari Manninen, Sheldon Rempal, Byron Froese, and Phill Kessel. Michael Hutchinson signed; meanwhile, Adin Hill was acquired via trade just before the beginning of the preseason.
With their lineup, Phil the Thrill continues his Ironman streak; they are keeping the same lineup as their last one. For Columbus, nothing new with injury updates; however, Carson Meyer and Trey Fix-Wolansky are switching spots on the 2nd and 3rd right winger slot. It’ll be Logan Thompson v. Joonas Korpisalo.
Projected Lineups
Vegas Golden Knights
Chandler Stephenson—Jack Eichel—Mark Stone Jonathan Marchessault—William Karlsson—Riley Smith Paul Cotter—Nicolas Roy—Phil Kessel William Carrier—Jake Leschyshyn—Keegan Kolesar
Alec Martinez—Alex Piterangelo Brayden McNabb—Shea Theodore Nicolas Hague—Zach Whitecloud
Logan Thompson Adin Hill
Scratched — Injured — Robin Lehner, Shea Weber, Nolan Patrick, Brett Howden
Columbus Blue Jackets
Johnny Gaudreau—Boone Jenner—Gustav Nyquist Kent Johnson—Cole Sillinger—Carson Meyer Yegor Chinakov—Jack Roslovic—Trey Fix-Wolansky Eric Robinson—Sean Kuraly—Liam Foudy
Vladislav Gavrikov—Marcus Bjork Jake Christiansen—Erik Gubdranson Gavin Bayreuther—Andrew Peeke
Daniil Tarasov Joonas Korpisalo
Scratched — Tim Breni, Billy Sweezey, Mathieu Olivier Injured — Zach Werenski, Patrik Laine, Jakub Voracek, Elvis Merzlikins, Jake Bean, Adam Boqvist, Justin Danforth, Nick Blankenburg,
Players to Watch
Vegas — Jack Eichel — 26 points in 23 games with no penalties. 12th in league point scoring.
Columbus — Jack Roslovic — 1 goal and 5 assists in 17 games. He needs to step up to help turn this team’s fortunes around, especially in his hometown and in the last game of an extended seven game home stand.
Thoughts? More to come…