Blue Jackets at Penguins
The Columbus Blue Jackets and Pittsburgh Penguins will be renewing acquaintances in the first round of the playoffs for the second time in four years if the current standings hold true for the remainder of the regular season. The Blue Jackets will look to put an end to their season-high three-game skid (0-2-1) and gain the upper hand in the bid for home-ice advantage in the potential first-round series on Tuesday when the Metropolitan Division rivals reconvene at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.
Columbus dropped a 3-2 decision to first-place Washington on Sunday and fell one point in the standings behind the reigning Stanley Cup champion Penguins, who defeated Carolina by the same score shortly thereafter. Pittsburgh's Matt Murray won his second straight start to become the first rookie goaltender in franchise history to reach the 30-win mark in a season, although the 22-year-old was gashed for six goals on 23 shots in the Blue Jackets' 7-1 romp on Dec. 22. Cam Atkinson (team-leading 34 goals, 61 points) scored in that contest and has two goals and an assist this season versus the Penguins, but the 27-year-old has seen his career campaign stalled by registering just one point in his last eight outings. Atkinson isn't alone as Columbus' sixth-ranked offense has mustered just 11 goals during its last seven games (2-3-2).
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Columbus), ROOT (Pittsburgh), NHL.TV
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (49-21-8): Coach John Tortorella said Monday that Zach Werenski is considered "day-to-day" after the rookie defenseman sustained a shoulder injury following a thunderous hit from Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin. While Werenski was not at practice Monday, right wing Oliver Bjorkstrand was back on the ice for the first time since being sidelined on March 22 with an upper-body injury. Bjorkstrand joined the team while it was working on its struggling power play, which has failed to convert on all 19 opportunities in the last 10 games.
ABOUT THE PENGUINS (48-19-11): Phil Kessel highlighted his 800th career game by scoring in overtime to cap a two-goal performance in Pittsburgh's 4-3 win over Columbus on Feb. 3. The 29-year-old tallied five more times in his next six games before being limited to just one goal in his next 22, although he does have 10 of his team-leading 45 assists in his last 16 contests. Captain Sidney Crosby (NHL-leading 43 goals) has just one tally in his last four games overall and his lone goal versus Columbus this season came in the blowout in December.
OVERTIME
1. Columbus G Sergei Bobrovsky has kept Pittsburgh's high-octane offense in check in three meetings this season, posting a 2-0-1 mark with a 1.95 goals-against average and .930 save percentage.
2. The Penguins, who converted both opportunities on the power play Sunday, are clicking at an NHL third-best 27.1 percent with the man advantage at home this season.
3. The Blue Jackets have thwarted 24 of the last 26 short-handed opportunities at Nationwide Arena.