Preview: Lightning at Blue Jackets

Lightning (13-9-1) at Blue Jackets (11-5-4): Game 24

Time: 7 p.m. Eastern time

Location: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio

Broadcasting/Streaming: Fox Sports Ohio/SUN

Opponent SBNation Site: The Cannon

Preview:

If you have been following the team, you will have noticed a bit of indifference in the Bolts fanbase towards the Bolts’ play of late. There have been calls to begin the transition of Andrei Vasilevskiy to starting goaltender (arguments that have some decent weight behind them) and also to sack the special teams play.

But as usual, the hockey optimist chimes that it is a long season full of ups and downs. Just ask Ben Bishop:

And speaking of sportswriter @Erik_Erlendsson, he made this quip after the recent loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets:

Yes, things have been shaky and we hope to see a bit of a turnaround on this road trip, but not all is lost.

What the Bolts need to do to get a win:

Confidence!

Am I in the locker room? No. Am I on the coaching staff? Not hardly. Is this the greatest analyst of what the team needs to do to be successful? Barely. But at times the team has been quite lackluster and sometimes I feel the team doesn’t understand its full potential as well as its recent successful past. The Bolts need to rely on each other and build upon team chemistry again. And if the Triplets could return to prime mid-season form, that could be helpful too.

The Bolts played Columbus just a few days ago in a 5-3 loss at home. Tampa Bay was able to overcome an early game deficit and tie it in the 3rd frame, yet the Bolts’ inability to clinch the win proved to be too much and the Jackets came away with it. The Lightning should look to have a faster start, attempt to put more shots on net, and try to play a more active, not reactive, game.

The Jackets:

The Blue Jackets have been off to an okay start to begin the season. Although there was turmoil regarding head coach John Tortorella and his stint with Team USA in the World Cup this off-season, Torts has been able to put that news behind him and has carried the Jackets to an 11-5-4 start, good for 4th in the Metropolitan division.

You can also go check out the The Cannons’ own view on how well the team has played up until now.

Tampa Bay Lightning Lines

Forwards

Alex Killorn - Vladislav Namestnikov - Nikita Kucherov

Brayden Point - Tyler Johnson - Ryan Callahan

Ondrej Palat - Valtteri Filppula - Jonathan Drouin

Cedric Paquette - Brian Boyle - J.T. Brown

Defensive Pairings

Victor Hedman - Andrej Sustr

Nikita Nesterov - Braydon Coburn

Jason Garrison - Slater Koekkoek

Luke Witkowski

Goaltenders

Andrei Vasilevskiy

Ben Bishop

Columbus Blue Jackets Lines

Forwards

Brandon Saad - Alexander Wennberg - Nick Foligno

Boone Jenner - Brandon Dubinsky - Cam Atkinson

Scott Hartnell - William Karlsson - Josh Anderson

Markus Hannikainen - Lukas Sedlak - Sam Gagner

Defensive Pairings

Zach Werenski - Seth Jones

Jack Johnson - David Savard

Ryan Murray - Markus Nutivaara

Goaltenders

Sergei Bobrovsky

Curtis McElhinney

Lines will be updated throughout the day