At the Rink: Devils at Blue Jackets

COLUMBUS -- With the return from injuries of forwards Matt Calvert (concussion) and Alexander Wennberg (hand), the Columbus Blue Jackets are looking more and more like what was envisioned coming out of training camp.

Unfortunately for them, even with a six-game winning streak and victories in 10 of the past 12 games, earlier injuries ravaged the Blue Jacket (36-35-4) to the point that they could be eliminated from the race for the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Tuesday when they host the New Jersey Devils in Nationwide Arena (7 p.m. ET; MSG+. FS-O).

A Columbus loss or a win by the Boston Bruins vs. the Florida Panthers on Tuesday makes official what was a foregone conclusion weeks ago.

Center Mark Letestu said he sees the Blue Jackets as they are now but refuses to dwell on how the season might have gone if not for a club-record 482 man-games lost.

“Frustration is useless,” he said. “It gets in the way, honestly. There were opportunities for guys to come in here and establish themselves as NHL players early on when guys were out.

“We still feel like we’re a good team but we took a step back as far as where we were going. Sometimes you have to do that to take a step forward. But we’re starting to look like the team the intentions were at the start of the year.”

The Blue Jackets made the playoffs last season and are showing signs of regaining that form of late.

“Going through something like this makes you appreciate what you were able to do last season but it leaves you hungry and empty at the same time,” Columbus coach Todd Richards said. “It’s a disappointing. Everybody feels that way.”

The same could be said for the Devils (31-33-12), who are 0-4-1 in the past five games and were mathematically eliminated Sunday.

“Nothing changes in our approach,” Devils defenseman Jon Merrill said. “We’re playing for pride. There’s a lot of pride in this room and we want to end the season on a good note. Even though things haven’t gone our way you have to put in the effort every night.

“If you don’t do that you look bad, your team looks bad. No one in this League is going to feel sorry for you because you’re not in the playoffs.”

Columbus will try to avoid a letdown after wins against the playoff-bound Anaheim Ducks, Chicago Blackhawks, and St. Louis Blues in their past three games.

“That’s the challenge,” Letestu said. “We seem to play well against the good teams in the League. It’s easy to get up to that level because if you don’t you’re going to get embarrassed.”

Here are the probable lineups:

DEVILS

Mike Cammalleri- Travis Zajac - Stefan Matteau

Adam Henrique - Scott Gomez- Steve Bernier

Dainius Zubrus- Patrik Elias- Stephen Gionta

Tuomo Ruutu- Jacob Josefson- Jordin Tootoo

Andy Greene - Adam Larsson

Jon Merrill - Damon Severson

Eric Gelinas - Mark Fraser

Cory Schneider

Keith Kinkaid

Scratched: Martin Havlat, Michael Ryder, Reid Boucher, Peter Harrold

Injured: Bryce Salvador (back), Ryane Clowe (concussion)

BLUE JACKETS

Boone Jenner - Ryan Johansen - Cam Atkinson

Brandon Dubinsky - Artem Anisimov - Nick Foligno

Scott Hartnell - Alexander Wennberg - Marko Dano

Matt Calvert - Mark Letestu - Jeremy Morin

Jack Johnson - David Savard

Fedor Tyutin - Dalton Prout

Kevin Connauton - Cody Goloubef

Sergei Bobrovsky

Curtis McElhinney

Scratched: Justin Falk, Corey Tropp

Suspended: Jared Boll

Injured: David Clarkson (oblique), Jack Skille (shoulder), Rene Bourque (back), Ryan Murray (ankle)

Status report: Calvert has been cleared even though he has light sensitivity issues and will wear a tinted visor. “You want to come back when you’re ready and I feel ready,” he said. … Boll will serve the second of his three-game suspension Tuesday. … The Devils only change from a 2-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday is replacing Harrold with Fraser on the third defensive pairing.

Who’s hot: Atkinson has four goals in the past two games to become fourth Blue Jackets player to reach the 20-goal mark this season. He has seven points (four goals, three assists) in the past three games. ... Hartnell has 11 goals in March to match his NHL-high for a month (January 2008 with the Philadelphia Flyers). … Zubrus has a goal and two assists in the past three games.