Jets at Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets hope Thursday’s home contest against the Winnipeg Jets provides an opportunity to jump-start a lethargic offense that endangered their chances to have home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Columbus lost four games in a row and is 2-4-2 in eight contests since clinching a playoff spot, scoring 12 goals during that stretch.
“We all have to get urgent and work our way out of this,” Columbus captain Nick Foligno told reporters after Tuesday’s 4-1 loss at Pittsburgh, extending the Blue Jackets’ longest losing streak of the season. The Jets were eliminated from playoff contention, but extended their season-best winning streak to five games with a 5-2 victory Tuesday at St. Louis. “We had a focus and a job to do (Tuesday) and we got it done,” Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice told the media afterward. Rookie Patrik Laine scored twice to raise his season total to 36, three behind Toronto’s Auston Matthews in the race for top rookie goal scorer.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TSN3 (Winnipeg), FSN Ohio (Columbus)
ABOUT THE JETS (38-35-7): Center Mark Scheifele scored his 31st goal of the season Tuesday and is seventh in the NHL in points with a career-high 80. Backup goaltender Michael Hutchinson is 3-0-0 during the winning streak, allowing six goals as the Jets finally are getting consistent play in net. Laine snapped a four-game goalless streak Tuesday, and entered Wednesday sixth in the league in goals scored.
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (49-22-8): Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky allowed nine goals in losing his past three starts, but still leads the NHL in wins (41) and save percentage (.933). Tuesday’s defeat dropped Columbus three points behind Pittsburgh in the race for second place in the Metropolitan Division. Rookie defenseman Zach Werenski, second on the team with 36 assists, missed his first game of the season with a shoulder injury.
OVERTIME
1. Foligno finished with a goal and two assists as Columbus beat the Jets 5-3 on Dec. 29 in Winnipeg, the 14th victory during the Blue Jackets’ 16-game winning streak.
2. Columbus F Oliver Bjorkstrand returned to the lineup Tuesday after missing six games with an upper-body injury.
3. Winnipeg recalled G Eric Comrie, a second-round pick in 2013, from Manitoba of the American Hockey League on Wednesday.