We've entered the final month of the regular season, and the Carolina Hurricanes have to love where they are sitting with eight games remaining. Their win over the Blue Jackets on Tuesday to start the home-and-home featured a dominant effort from the power play, going 3-for-5, and Brandon Bussi put forth another excellent start, stopping 23 of the 25 shots that he faced.
Tonight marks a momentous occasion for the Hurricanes' captain. Jordan Staal is set to play in his 1,400th NHL game, making him the 46th player in NHL history to reach this total. Only six active players have competed in more games than him, including former teammates Sidney Crosby and Brent Burns. Hopefully, his group can get another win to enhance the moment.
On the Other Side: Columbus Blue Jackets
Last meeting: Tuesday's contest was tighter than it needed to be for a while before the Canes finally pulled away late. Their power play struck twice in the first period to give them an early edge, but the Blue Jackets tied it early in the third. Nikolaj Ehlers took control for the Canes, scoring the go-ahead goal and setting up the next one on the power play, finishing with three points in a 5-2 win.
Despite the loss, the Blue Jackets received considerable help from the teams chasing them in the Wild Card race. The Red Wings, the Senators, and the Flyers are lost in regulation, allowing Columbus to maintain its two-point lead for the final spot in the Eastern Conference. The Islanders also lost, keeping them within a point of third in the division.
The injury bug had already begun to rear its ugly head, with Dmitri Voronkov, Damon Severson, and Mathieu Olivier all expected to miss some time. Their situation didn't get any better when Isac Lundestrom left Tuesday's contest. It continues to deplete the Blue Jackets' depth, putting them in a tougher spot down the home stretch.
Columbus Head Coach Rick Bowness has a decision to make in the net for tonight's contest. Jet Greaves has been great this season, and he was solid on Tuesday, making 26 stops in a losing effort. While Elvis Merzlikins' overall numbers aren't great, he has earned his team at least one point in five of his six starts in March.
Blue Jackets to Watch
Kirill Marchenko: For the first time in eight games, Marchenko found the back of the net against the Canes on Tuesday, ending one of his longest droughts of the campaign. He added an assist on Columbus' second goal, keeping his reputation as a Canes Killer intact. Marchenko has four points over his last two games, signaling that he might be back on track.
Sean Monahan: It has been a down year offensively for Monahan, who has just 12 goals and 35 points in 71 games. He looked incredibly dangerous on Tuesday night, being robbed blind by Bussi in the second period, shortly after Columbus got on the board. Monahan finished the night with four shots, but he failed to find the scoresheet for the seventh contest in a row.
Hurricanes to Watch
Seth Jarvis: We waived good-bye to Jarvis's point streak on Tuesday night. He initially was credited with the secondary assist on the opening goal before it was given to Svechnikov. Jarvis had a good March, and it has him on the verge of some personal bests. He needs five more points to tie his totals from the last two seasons, topping out at 67 points both years.
William Carrier: It has been ten games since Carrier has found the scoresheet, doing so during the second meeting of March against the Penguins. While he isn't scoring points, he's finding ways to contribute elsewhere, laying more than two hits per game during that span. It is good to see him impacting the game, but scoring points would be nice, too.