The Columbus Blue Jackets (32-35-4) are looking to sweep their three-game western Canada road trip, as they take on the Calgary Flames (39-27-5) in a somewhat rare afternoon game (4 p.m. ET).
Despite the percentages being against them, the Flames have continued to pile up wins even without arguably their best player in Mark Giordano. They'll inevitably regress at some point - they can't keep shooting lights out and coming back from 2, 3, 4-0 down - but they haven't done so just yet, and they still hold a playoff spot as a result.
The Kings are right on their tail, though, and the Jets seem unwilling to part with their wild card spot, so points are at a premium for the Flames.
The Blue Jackets aren't really playing for anything right now, but you wouldn't be able to tell from their results of late. They've had excellent goaltending - from both Curtis McElhinney and Sergei Bobrovsky - on this trip, and their kids (notably Marko Dano and Alex Wennberg) continue to tally the points, which is a big reason why they've won five of six.
On the other side, Calgary continues to fill the net with regularity, which is a nice trait to have given they often find themselves coming from behind.
Columbus is getting some good news on the injury front, as Boone Jenner and Jeremy Morin could both return to the lineup tonight. That will give them much more depth up front, and more lineup options as a whole, as Jenner can play center or wing, while Morin can play on either side. Those are also two of their best possession forwards, and they should help in that regard as well.
It's not all roses and rainbows, though, as Wennberg, who has been excellent of late on a line with Dano and Scott Hartnell - has suffered some sort of hand infection and will not play.
Given Columbus' inability to surpress shots and Calgary's goal scoring ability - they average 2.90 goals per game - I think it'd be fair to expect a high(ish) scoring contest. Regardless of who comes out on top, it should be very entertaining.
What to watch:
1) Calgary isn't a very good 5 vs 5 team. They routinely get crushed in terms of possession, and on the shot clock, so Columbus should be able to keep up with them there. The big advantage the Flames have is that they're disciplined, whereas Columbus is not. If this gets into a special teams battle I don't like Columbus' chances, mostly because they'll likely be taking the bulk of the penalties.
2) Marko Dano enters tonight's contest scorching hot, having recorded seven points in his last five games. He continues to pile up the shots - he has 15 in his last five - and drive possession at a high rate, so the numbers suggest he's actually playing very well, and isn't just getting unsustainably lucky.
3) Johnny Gaudreau has been excellent this season, and his play of late reflects that. He has eight points in his last five games, and continues to make a good case for himself as the potential Calder winner. He's deadly in space and possesses great skill, so the Jackets need to play him air tight. If he's given any time or space, he's going to make a play.
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