The next opportunity is Thursday against the Arizona Coyotes in the conclusion of a two-game road trip leading into the NHL's All-Star weekend in Tampa Bay.
The Coyotes are at the bottom of the Western Conference and Pacific Division standings, but have played a lot better this month. Arizona has won its past two games, can tie its longest win streak of the season, is riding a season-high point streak of five games and has recorded a point in seven of the past eight games (3-1-4).
"All good teams in the league, when they get on a roll, they put their foot on the gas pedal," Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said Wednesday. "To me, it's a professional game [Thursday]. It's before the break. You should empty the tank. I don't know whether we're going to win or lose, but we should empty the tank. We have a break, like everybody, so [it's] a game you're really looking for a professional game from our team."
The Blue Jackets, who are now fourth in the Metropolitan Division and hold the Eastern Conference's first wild-card, will get veteran forward Cam Atkinson back from a fractured bone in his right foot. He presence will help, but they'll still be looking for the confidence they played with a year ago.
"It's a major problem with our team," Tortorella said. "I think it's a mind-set, and we had better try to solve that. I don't think we're a lazy team. I think we work hard. But we don't have the constant hardness through a game, and when you start getting into this time of the year, that's when it has to be there. We have addressed that, and [we'll] move onto our next game and see if we can get that consistent."
SERIES RECORD
2017-18 Season: (1-0-0). This is the season finale. The Blue Jackets defeated the Coyotes 1-0 on Dec. 9 at Nationwide Arena in the first game.
All-time (W-L-T-O): 24-26-4-2 overall; 9-15-3-1 at Gila River Arena
WHO'S HOT
Blue Jackets: Captain Nick Foligno has six points (two goals, four assists) in the past six games, including two assists Tuesday against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Coyotes: Brendan Perlini scored his 14th goal of the season in the Coyotes' win Monday against the Islanders to extend his goal streak to three games. That's one game short of tying his season-high.
EYES ON: THE BLUE JACKETS
EYES ON: THE COYOTES
PROJECTED LINEUPS
BLUE JACKETS
Forwards
Artemi Panarin - Pierre-Luc Dubois - Josh Anderson
Boone Jenner - Alex Wennberg - Oliver Bjorkstrand
Matt Calvert - Jussi Jokinen - Nick Foligno
Markus Hannikainen - Lukas Sedlak - Jordan Schroeder
Defensemen
Zach Werenski - Seth Jones
Jack Johnson - David Savard
Dean Kukan - Markus Nutivaara
Goaltenders
Sergei Bobrovsky
Joonas Korpisalo
Others:Scott Harrington
Injured reserve: Brandon Dubinsky (orbital bone fracture), Ryan Murray (upper body), Sony Milano (torn oblique)
COYOTES
Forwards
Brendan Perlini - Derek Stepan - Richard Panik
Clayton Keller - Christian Dvorak - Tobias Rieder
Zac Rinaldo - Max Domi - Christian Fischer
Nick Cousins - Brad Richardson - Jordan Martinook
Defensemen
Oliver Ekman-Larsson - Jason Demers
Jakob Chychrun - Niklas Hjalmarsson
Alex Goligoski - Luke Schenn
Goaltenders
Antti Raanta
Scott Wedgewood
Others: Freddie Hamilton, Kevin Connauton, Josh Archibald
Injured Reserve:None
(Note: Martinook will be a gametime decision. If he doesn't play, look for Josh Archibald to draw into the lineup on the fourth line).
