Blue Jackets at Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins owned the best record in the Eastern Conference two months ago, but since have played at a sub-.500 level and are trying to avoid falling into a wild-card slot. Pittsburgh attempts to avert a third consecutive defeat when it hosts the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday. The Penguins are coming off a testy 3-1 loss to Washington, dropping them to 10-10-5 over their last 25 games and 5-5-2 in the past 12 at home.
It will be the second meeting between the Metropolitan Division rivals since Pittsburgh dispatched the Blue Jackets in a six-game playoff series last season. Columbus, which outlasted the Penguins 4-3 in a shootout on Dec. 13, is making the third stop on a five-game road trip that culminates with a back-to-back at Montreal and the New York Rangers over the weekend. The Blue Jackets have won four of six but face an uphill climb to make up a double-digit point deficit on eighth-place Boston.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBC Sports, ROOT (Pittsburgh)
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (25-27-3): Curtis McElhinney, thrust into the No. 1 role after starter Sergei Bobrovsky went down with a groin injury on Jan. 21, matched his career high with 42 saves against Philadelphia to improve to 8-3-0 in his last 11 starts. The line of Brandon Dubinsky, Matt Calvert and Cam Atkinson accounted for all three third-period goals in the victory over the Flyers and has amassed a combined seven goals and 11 points over the past four games. Dubinsky has scored in three straight games after tallying twice in his first 25 contests.
ABOUT THE PENGUINS (32-16-9): Special teams continue to haunt Pittsburgh, which has surrendered 10 power-play goals in 15 games while coming up empty on 18 chances with the man advantage over the last eight contests. “We had some decent chances,” said superstar captain Sidney Crosby, who has not scored on the power play since Jan. 18. “I think we've moved the puck around fairly well. Besides capitalizing, I think we've done a better job here the last couple games.” Crosby, who sat out practice Wednesday, has been held without a goal in 10 of the past 12 games overall.
OVERTIME
1. Blues Jackets leading scorer Nick Foligno (lower body) missed Tuesday's game and Wednesday's practice and remains listed as day-to-day.
2. The Penguins are only 7-10-4 against the Metropolitan and 25-6-5 versus non-division foes.
3. McElhinney is 0-4-0 in five appearances against Pittsburgh.