Stars at Blue Jackets
THE STORY: With his team off to the worst start in franchise history, it's no wonder Columbus Blue Jackets captain Rick Nash is calling Tuesday's home game against the Dallas Stars a "must win." The Blue Jackets have stumbled out of the gate with an 0-4-1 mark, which included an ugly 4-2 loss at Dallas on Saturday in which they mustered a mere 15 shots. To avoid a sweep of the home-and-home matchup, Columbus will have to raise its game considerably after having scored two goals in each of its five losses. It certainly won't help that first-line center Jeff Carter is questionable for Tuesday’s game with a hairline crack on the top of his right foot. The Stars are off to a surprising 4-1-0 start, helped by a schedule that features four home games (all wins). The return date with Columbus kicks off a four-game road trip for Dallas.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (Dallas), FS Ohio (Columbus)
ABOUT THE STARS (4-1-0): Dallas is riding a three-game winning streak, having surrendered five goals in that span. Loui Eriksson has scored a goal in three straight games and Mike Ribeiro had three assists, including his 500th career point in Saturday's win. He also set up third-period goals by Sheldon Souray and Michael Ryder. Entering Monday’s play, goaltender Kari Lehtonen (4-0-0) had a 1.48 GAA and led the league in wins and save percentage (.955).
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (0-4-1): After Saturday’s lackluster effort, Columbus coach Scott Arniel put the team through an intense workout Sunday on a scheduled day off. The Blue Jackets are a dreadful 1-for-25 on the power play. Nash and Vinny Prospal are tied for the team lead with five points and Carter is the only other player with at least three points. Backup goaltender Curtis Sanford, who has yet to play, is 4-1 in seven starts against Dallas.
OVERTIME:
1. Dallas’ Jamie Benn, 22, became the youngest player in franchise history to reach 100 points. He has 45 goals and 55 assists in 156 games.
2. Alexandre Giroux scored for Columbus in his first game since a promotion from the minors. It was his sixth goal in 40 NHL games over six seasons. Giroux has 341 goals in 11 AHL seasons.