The Lightning come into Columbus carrying a lot more than a hot start.
Tampa Bay arrives at Nationwide Arena on Thursday night at 12-4-2, sitting second in the Atlantic and third in the East, but the bigger story has nothing to do with the standings. Nikita Kucherov’s trade request has turned into the kind of noise that follows a team everywhere, even if the Lightning remain on the short list of Cup contenders and a deal still looks unlikely. Still, it’s hard to picture Tampa Bay simply letting a player of that caliber walk.
Kucherov, of course, is still doing Kucherov things. He piled up a hat trick in Tampa’s 8-3 win over Buffalo last night, and John Carlson added five points in that same game, including his 800th NHL point. The question now is whether the Lightning can keep that offensive surge rolling on back-to-back nights.
There are also some health questions hanging over Tampa’s lineup. Brayden Point is already on IR, and Erik Cernak and Anthony Cirelli both finished last night’s game in the locker room. Their status for Thursday is uncertain.
Columbus, meanwhile, is trying to find something - anything - that can define this group.
The Blue Jackets enter at 7-9-0 and 16th in the East, and the frustration around the team has been building. The concern here isn’t just losing; it’s that the Jackets don’t seem to have one clear strength they can lean on.
The expectation was that a Rick Bowness team would be hard to play against and stingy defensively, but that hasn’t shown up yet. If the scoring isn’t there, the Jackets have to keep the other team from running away with the game, and that part has not been consistent enough.
Adam Fantilli is a big part of that conversation. Over his last six games, he has no points despite leading all forwards in average ice time.
The underlying numbers are encouraging - his shot metrics and expected goals numbers are above 50%, and he ranks second to Dmitri Voronkov in high-danger chances for percentage - but the production still has to come. Ray Ferraro said on Tuesday’s broadcast that Fantilli needs to be more reckless offensively and take chances, even if that means sacrificing some of the defensive polish he’s shown.
Too many plays are ending on his stick.
Columbus may also be dealing with a coaching question on game night. Rick Bowness is listed as a game-time decision because of illness, and Jake Christianson is back in for Gudbranson.
The matchup numbers tell the story of two teams headed in very different directions. Tampa Bay is scoring 3.94 goals per game, good for fourth in the league, while Columbus sits at 2.44.
The Lightning also own the edge in 5-on-5 shot attempts, unblocked shot attempts and shooting percentage, while the Blue Jackets have been better in 5-on-5 save percentage. Special teams have tilted Tampa’s way as well, though neither club has been dominant there.
The projected lineups show Tampa leaning on its top-end talent again, with Kucherov flanked by Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli, while Columbus is expected to counter with Matthew Knies, Sean Monahan and Kent Johnson on the top line and Fantilli centering a second unit with Valeri Nichushkin and Dmitri Voronkov.
For Columbus, the challenge is simple and brutal: find a way to make this game look different from the last few. For Tampa Bay, it’s about proving the firepower travels even when the spotlight is getting hotter.
In Other News...
Blue Jackets Suddenly Face Bench Uncertainty On Game Night
Rick Bowness was absent from the Blue Jackets game against the Tampa Bay Lightning because of an illness, leaving Columbus to adjust on the fly for a night when the bench looked a little different than usual. In his second season with the club, Bowness has brought plenty of experience to a young roster, and his presence behind the bench is usually part of the teams nightly routine.
Don Granato handled the coaching duties in Bowness place, giving Columbus a different voice in a game that already carried the usual stakes of an Eastern Conference matchup. For a team trying to keep its footing, any late change behind the bench adds another layer to manage, especially when it involves the NHLs oldest head coach being out of action on game night. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Let Another Home Game Slip Away In Brutal Third Period
Another home game got away from the Blue Jackets on a night when they had chances to settle in and build something against Tampa Bay. Columbus managed just one goal, from Matthew Knies, while Brandon Hagel powered the Lightning attack with two goals and an assist and Nikita Kucherov set the table with two helpers in a 3-1 loss that left the building with the familiar feeling of a missed opportunity.
Dennis Hildeby backed up the win with 28 saves, and the game stayed within reach long enough for Columbus to believe it could still turn. Instead, the third period tilted the wrong way, and the Blue Jackets were left to sort through another frustrating finish against a division opponent that did enough in the key moments to leave Columbus searching for answers. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Suddenly Need Answers On Sean Monahan
Sean Monahans night ended early in Tampa, and the Blue Jackets suddenly have another injury situation to sort through. The veteran forward had one assist in 9:58 of ice time before leaving the game against the Lightning with an upper-body injury, a development that came in a 3-1 loss Columbus could ill afford as it tried to keep pace.
The immediate concern now is how long Monahan might be unavailable and what it means for a lineup that already had to adjust on the fly. Columbus did not have him back for the rest of the game, and with the team looking for stability up front, any absence from a center with his experience would force another round of shuffling at a time when the Blue Jackets need answers more than they need another question. [Read more 🡒]