Blackhawks at Blue Jackets
THE STORY: With the clock ticking down to the potential end of Rick Nash's tenure in Columbus, the Blue Jackets look to overcome the overwhelming distraction as they entertain the Chicago Blackhawks in a Saturday matinee. Nash has reportedly been asked for a list of teams to which he would accept a trade, and he is said to have complied with the team's request. His Blue Jackets have played better of late, having won four of six. The Blackhawks ended a nine-game losing skid with a 4-2 victory over the New York Rangers on Thursday night.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, Comcast SportsNet Chicago, Fox Sports Ohio
ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (30-21-7): Chicago went from sitting atop the Western Conference to finding itself in a scramble for its postseason life. Thursday's victory may have temporarily stemmed the bleeding, but improving on a 11-15-3 road mark is paramount for a Blackhawks team which has gone 1-6-1 on its season-high nine-game trek. The Blackhawks will enjoy some well-deserved home cooking after this one, with a three-game stand against St. Louis, Detroit and Dallas.
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (17-34-6): Nash has spent his entire career in Columbus - and with the club on its way to yet another short season, changes could be in the offing. For his part, the former first overall pick remains committed to helping the Blue Jackets. "I'm a Blue Jacket right now," he said earlier this week. "I've played my whole career here and it's a special place to me. So, as of right now, I'm a Blue Jacket." The 27-year-old owns most of the franchise scoring records.
OVERTIME:
1. Chicago has swept the first four head-to-head meetings this season, outscoring the Blue Jackets by a 20-8 margin.
2. Nash has 23 goals and 27 assists in 53 career games against the Blackhawks.