The Columbus Blue Jackets are in the thick of their most critical homestand of the season, and Saturday night’s matchup at Nationwide Arena is no easy assignment - they’re hosting the Eastern Conference’s top team, the Tampa Bay Lightning.
With 50 games in the books, Columbus sits at 23-20-7, just seven points back of the final Wild Card spot currently held by the Boston Bruins. That gap may look steep, but the Jackets have a game in hand and momentum building under head coach Rick Bowness.
Saturday’s clash with a red-hot Lightning squad - winners of 14 of their last 15 - is more than just another game. It’s a measuring stick for how far this team has come and how far they might go.
Here’s what needs to happen if Columbus wants to come away with a statement win.
1. Jump on a Tired Tampa Bay Squad
The schedule does the Blue Jackets a small favor here. Tampa Bay played a full 65-minute game Friday night in Chicago, winning a shootout 2-1 before hopping a plane to Columbus. That’s a quick turnaround, and the Jackets need to capitalize.
This is where Bowness’ system - aggressive forechecking, physical play, and puck-hunting pressure - needs to shine. The Lightning may be elite, but tired legs are tired legs, especially late in the game.
Columbus needs to set the tone early and keep the tempo high. That means finishing checks, winning puck battles, and making Tampa’s stars work for every inch.
And speaking of stars, Nikita Kucherov is in MVP form with 25 goals and 49 assists in 45 games. Brandon Hagel’s been a consistent threat, and Darren Raddysh is producing at a remarkable clip from the blue line with 42 points in 43 games.
Defensively, J.J. Moser leads the team with a plus-38 rating and plays a steady, reliable game.
Columbus can’t give these guys space to operate. Thursday’s win over Dallas was a physical one - the Jackets out-hit the Stars 35-7.
Mathieu Olivier led the way with five hits, and players like Isac Lundestrom and Jake Christiansen were noticeable in the trenches as well. That kind of energy from depth players is going to be essential again.
In net, Jet Greaves is expected to start for the Blue Jackets. Tampa Bay started Andrei Vasilevskiy in Chicago, so Jonas Johansson likely gets the nod Saturday. Johansson was in net the last time these two teams met - a 3-2 Blue Jackets win back in October.
2. Find the Back of the Net
The Jackets have just two goals in their last two games. That’s not going to cut it against a Lightning team that’s tied for fifth in the NHL with 169 goals this season - right up there with the Maple Leafs.
Tampa Bay is one of the most balanced teams in the league. They’re scoring 3.45 goals per game and giving up just 2.45.
Their plus-50 goal differential is second only to the Colorado Avalanche. In other words, they don’t just beat you - they smother you.
Columbus played one of its most composed defensive games of the season in Thursday’s 1-0 win over Dallas. They’ll need to replicate that kind of maturity and structure, but they also need to generate more offense.
Breaking through Tampa’s defense won’t be easy. They stay in position, don’t pinch unnecessarily, and force teams to beat them with speed and traffic. That means Columbus needs to get bodies in front of the net and score the kind of gritty, second-effort goals that don’t show up on highlight reels but win hockey games.
That’s where Dimitri Voronkov comes in. He’s a net-front presence, a big body who can cause chaos down low - but he played just 6:43 against Dallas and is currently on the fourth line.
That’s a head-scratcher considering he leads the team in power-play goals with seven - four more than Zach Werenski, Kirill Marchenko, and Adam Fantilli. Voronkov will be on the second power-play unit Saturday, but there’s a strong case to be made for giving him more ice time, especially with the top unit.
Werenski has been doing his part, with six points in his last five games. But he needs help.
Fantilli, who centered the top line Thursday and logged over 21 minutes, is a key piece. He’s got Bowness’ trust - now he needs to find the scoresheet again.
The Jackets need their top-six forwards and power-play units to deliver if they want to keep pace with Tampa.
3. Dominate the Faceoff Dot
Here’s one area where Columbus has a clear edge: faceoffs. The Lightning rank 31st in the NHL with a 46.3% win rate in the circle - a rare weak spot for such a well-rounded team. Columbus, meanwhile, is 13th at 50.7%.
Faceoffs matter, especially in special teams situations. A clean win on the penalty kill lets you clear the puck and reset.
A clean win on the power play sets up immediate pressure. The Jackets need to take full advantage of this.
Adam Fantilli was a force in the faceoff circle Thursday, winning 16 of 24 draws (66.7%). That’s a big number, and he led the team by a wide margin - 10 more faceoffs than the next closest player, Charlie Coyle. Sean Monahan has also been part of the rotation, but Fantilli has clearly become the go-to guy in the dot.
If Columbus can control possession off the draw, it’ll go a long way in slowing down Tampa’s attack and giving their own offense more chances to get going.
Final Thoughts
This is the third game of a five-game homestand for Columbus, and it’s arguably the toughest test of the stretch. With snow in the forecast across Ohio, fans heading to Nationwide Arena will be braving the elements - but they could be rewarded with a high-stakes, high-intensity showdown.
The Blue Jackets have a real opportunity here. Tampa Bay is elite, but they’re also coming in on short rest. If Columbus plays fast, plays physical, and finds a way to generate offense, this could be a signature win in their push for a playoff spot.
Puck drops at 7:00 PM.