Blue Jackets seek first win; Sharks visit Rangers

Nobody could have possibly envisioned the Columbus Blue Jackets opening the 2015-16 season with six consecutive regulation losses, but that is the cold, harsh reality staring right in their faces after two weeks.

The Blue Jackets will attempt to put an end to their improbable losing streak when they host the New York Islanders at Nationwide Arena on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; FS-O, MSG+).

New York (3-1-1) is already seven points ahead of Columbus, which was expected to be in the Metropolitan Division race until the very end following the acquisition of forward Brandon Saad and a 15-1-1 finish to last season.

"I don't know what we're waiting for," Blue Jackets forward Scott Hartnell said Saturday after the latest loss, a 4-1 defeat at the Chicago Blackhawks. "I don't know if we're looking for someone else to do it, if we're easing ourselves into games to wait for something bad to happen. That's what I sense when we get playing. We're just waiting instead of doing and doing the right things.

"This is getting old. This is getting frustrating. I don't know what else to say. It's a tough start. It's embarrassing. A lot of people picked us to be there at the end, to make the playoffs, and we're doing a pretty good job of ruining that right away."

Here are other games that should garner plenty of attention:

Monday, Oct. 19: San Jose Sharks at New York Rangers (7 p.m. ET; NHLN, TVA Sports, SN1, CSN-CA, MSG) -- San Jose suffered its first loss of the season Saturday, a 6-3 decision at the Islanders, but No. 1 goalie Martin Jones was given the night off, an unlikely scenario Monday. Jones is 4-0-0 with a 0.49 goals-against average and .982 save percentage. The Rangers have scored 14 goals in six games, none from power forwards Rick Nash and Chris Kreider.

Tuesday, Oct. 20: St. Louis Blues at Montreal Canadiens (7 p.m. ET; FS-MW, RDS, CITYM) -- The Blues wrap up their six-game road trip at Bell Centre against the only undefeated team remaining in the NHL. Montreal (6-0-0) has outscored its opponents 20-7; forwards Max Pacioretty and Tomas Plekanec are responsible for nine of the Canadiens' goals.

Thursday, Oct. 22: Anaheim Ducks at Nashville Predators (8 p.m. ET; PRIME, FS-SD, FS-TN) -- No Ducks forward had scored a goal this season until Rickard Rakell ended the drought late in the first period of a 4-1 win against the Minnesota Wild on Sunday. But five games into the season, there are two assists between Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Ryan Kesler and Jakob Silfverberg. Nashville has won four of five.

Saturday, Oct. 24: Tampa Bay Lightning at Chicago Blackhawks (8:30 p.m. ET; NHLN, SN1, SUN, WGN) -- It's the first game between the Lightning and Blackhawks since Chicago won the 2015 Stanley Cup Final in six games. Lightning left wing Jonathan Drouin, who had 32 points (four goals) in 70 games last season, has a goal and five assists in six games. Saturday is the last of an eight-game stretch for the Blackhawks against Eastern Conference opponents.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars -- The reigning Art Ross Trophy winner has picked up where he left off with five goals and eight points in five games. It's no surprise he continues to have chemistry with linemate Tyler Seguin, who also has eight points. Dallas is off to a 4-1-0 start.

David Krejci, Boston Bruins -- Krejci looks like the player who helped the Bruins win the Stanley Cup in 2011. Injuries limited him to 47 games last season, but that appears to be in the past. Through five games, Krejci has four goals and five assists.

Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens -- It's easy to see why Price is viewed by many as the best goaltender in the world. He's been in net for five of Montreal's six victories and is boasting a 1.20 GAA and .957 save percentage.

LINE CHANGES

Anton Slepyshev, Edmonton Oilers -- A third-round pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, Slepyshev was a healthy scratch for the Oilers' 5-2 win against the Calgary Flames on Saturday. But when Edmonton visited the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday (a 2-1 overtime win), Slepyshev found himself at the start of the game on a line with Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Slepyshev finished the game on the fourth line with Luke Gazdic and Mark Letestu.

Derek Stepan, New York Rangers -- With hopes of kick-starting the offense, Rangers coach Alain Vigneault shuffled his lines prior to the game against the New Jersey Devils on Sunday, which included moving Derek Stepan between Rick Nash and Mats Zuccarello. Stepan scored New York's only goal against the Devils, his third of the season and second in four games.

POINT SHOTS

The Pittsburgh Penguins had Sidney Crosby, Phil Kessel, Evgeni Malkin, Patric Hornqvist and Kris Letang on their top power-play unit Saturday after it had gone without a goal in 12 opportunities. "For me, the power play, you're talking about your top scorers," coach Mike Johnston said, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "If your top scorers are on a roll and your power play is not working, obviously you have some concerns. But I think right now, once those guys start to get going, feeling comfortable with each other, we're going to be fine." … Sharks coach Peter DeBoer saw a lot of the Islanders during his time with the Devils and believes they're headed in the right direction. "They just keep getting better every year," DeBoer said. "John Tavares, for me, is one of the top five players in the world. They're really filling in some good pieces behind them, their depth. They took a big step last year and they look like they're ready to take another one this year." … Blues coach Ken Hitchcock on forward Vladimir Tarasenko, who has five goals in six games, tying him for the NHL lead: "It's nothing new. Playing against him, I'd be really nervous, and he doesn't miss."

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