Blue Jackets at Red Wings
Despite their riveting 16-game winning streak earlier in the season, the Columbus Blue Jackets are falling farther back in the rear-view mirror of Metropolitan Division-leading Washington. The Blue Jackets look to avoid losing three straight games for the first time this season when they pay a visit to the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night.
Columbus turned in a lackluster effort after returning from a five-game road trip and were flattened by visiting New Jersey 5-1 on Saturday to fall to 6-8-1 since the winning streak. "I thought there were probably three or four guys who were ready (to play)," coach John Tortorella said. "When you have that few guys going, you're going to find a hard way to win a hockey game." The Red Wings have won two in a row but will run the gauntlet over the next seven games, facing Columbus and Washington twice apiece as well at Central Division-leading Minnesota and defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh. “We’re going to be against some really good teams but we just beat a really good team in Nashville,” forward Steve Ott said.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Columbus), FSN Detroit
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (33-13-5): Columbus is tied for the third-best record in hockey, but an alarming trend continued in the loss to New Jersey -- it marked the sixth consecutive game in which the Blue Jackets gave up at least six goals. All-Star netminder Sergei Bobrovsky has permitted four goals in each of his last four starts and none of the four goaltenders utilized over the past month has a save percentage above .895. Bobrovsky is 7-4-1 with two shutouts versus Detroit.
ABOUT THE RED WINGS (22-21-9): Goaltending has been an issue throughout the season for Detroit, with Jimmy Howard sidelined since Dec. 20 with a knee injury and Petr Mrazek struggling with a goals-against average above three. Mrazek showed signs of breaking out of his slump by registering his first shutout of the season with a 42-save effort at Nashville on Saturday. The Red Wings will be without forward Frans Nielsen and defenseman Niklas Kronwall for "at least a couple more games," coach Jeff Blashill said.
OVERTIME
1. Blue Jackets F Cam Atkinson had a goal and assist in a 4-1 win over the Red Wings on Dec. 9, giving him eight goals in 16 games against them.
2. Detroit's league-worst power play is 2-for-30 over the last nine games.
3. Columbus owns the league's No. 1 power play but has had only four chances in the last five games, failing on each one.