After three days off following their 4 - 3 shootout win over the Rangers Monday, the Jackets are set to lace them up tonight against a red hot Carolina Hurricanes squad, winners of five straight.
Columbus can't seem to regain their health. Every time one player returns from injury another goes out. This time it's Matt Calvert coming back after missing the last seven with a shoulder injury. It will be nice to have Calvert back in the fold. He is a high-energy player who doesn't necessarily post big numbers but makes good things happen when he is in the lineup. He'll slot in on the left of side of Brandon Dubinsky with Cam Atkinson on the right.
Unfortunately, like the law in physics, for every reaction there is an equal and opposite reaction. In this case, with Calvert back the Jackets have lost the services of Blake Comeau for up to six weeks with a leg injury.
The Jackets are currently five points behind the Canes in the standings, with a game in hand making a regulation victory tonight a crucial. Sergei Bobrovsky is in goal and is coming off a win in his return to the lineup.
If Bob is going to make it two in a row he is going to have to stop the molten lava-hot Jeff Skinner. Skinner has scored 17 goals in his last 18 games and has 24 points in that span.
Columbus does catch a bit of a break as Eric Staal is out of the lineup for Carolina with a lower body injury. Staal leads the club in assists with 25 and is tied with Skinner in points with 35.
Anton Khudobin is expected to be between the pipes for the Canes. He is undefeated in six decisions with a GAA of 1.84 and a S% of 0.943.