Hurricanes at Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets continue to find different ways to gain points during their quest to reach the playoffs for the second time in their history. The Blue Jackets have given up one goal or fewer in three of their last four games as they prepare to host the fading Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday. The Blue Jackets scored 12 goals in their first three games during a 6-1-1 run that has put them in playoff position while Carolina is only 3-9-0 over its last dozen contests.
Columbus is two points ahead of ninth-place Washington in the Eastern Conference and plays four of the next six at home, where it has points in six straight (5-0-1). Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky has made 14 straight starts in net the Blue Jackets and earned points in 11 (9-3-2) before being named the NHL’s First Star of the Week on Monday. The Hurricanes are nine points out of a playoff spot and come in off a 2-1 loss to Edmonton at home.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Carolina, FSN Ohio (Columbus)
ABOUT THE HURRICANES (29-30-9): Carolina has produced only 26 goals during its rough 12-game stretch, managing only one each in the last two. “We do a good job of making goalies look good,” Hurricanes center Jordan Staal told the Raleigh News & Observer. “There’s a lot of opportunities and we've got to get in front of him more and create better shots. We’re getting shots but not good chances.” Leading scorer Eric Staal has gone nine games without a goal while his brother Jordan boasts a six-game point streak.
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (35-26-6): Bobrovsky made 32 saves as Columbus defeated Minnesota 2-1 in a shootout Saturday to extend its point streak to four, improving to 3-1-0 on the road since March. Ryan Johansen recorded the winning tally in the bonus format Saturday and leads the Blue Jackets with 26 goals and 50 points while Brandon Dubinsky is next with 41 points. Top-four defenseman Fedor Tyutin returned to the lineup against Minnesota after missing eight games with an ankle injury he sustained at the Olympics.
OVERTIME
1. Carolina snapped a seven-game losing streak against Columbus after rallying in third period for a 3-2 victory Jan. 27.
2. Hurricanes RW Alexander Semin has recorded five goals and 10 points over his last 10 games.
3. Columbus' James Wisniewski was tied for eighth among defensemen with 20 power-play points through Sunday’s games.