PREVIEW: Blue Jackets at Panthers

BLUE JACKETS (2-1-0) at PANTHERS (0-0-1)
7 p.m.; Fox Sports Ohio, Fox Sports app, 97.1 The Fan
Taking faceoffs is one of the least glamorous parts of hockey, much like a center snapping the ball in football. In both cases, the task usually goes unnoticed unless a mistake is made.
There's another commonality - hiking the ball puts the play in motion, as does winning a faceoff.
"It's not a pretty part of the game," Blue Jackets center Riley Nash said. "It's a 50-50 battle that starts a lot of plays. Anytime we can come out on top, not just on faceoffs but all those battles, 55-60 percent of the time, I think we'll be pretty successful."
By that measure, the Blue Jackets better their chances of winning each game with their ability to win draws.
Thursday at BB&T Center in Sunrise, Fla., the Blue Jackets will play their second game without injured center Brandon Dubinsky when they face the Florida Panthers.

Dubinsky, who is expected to miss up to six weeks with a strained oblique muscle, is the go-to guy when coach John Tortorella needs a critical faceoff win.
In his two games before being injured, Dubinsky delivered by winning 68.8 percent (22 of 32) of his faceoffs.
"With Dubi out for a while we've got couple of guys who are going to have to step up on draws," center Pierre-Luc Dubois said. "Me and (Alexander Wennberg) and (Lukas Sedlak) are going to have to be a lot better on draws.
"Dubi's a big part of PK too. Getting those first faceoffs are important."
The free-agent signing of center Riley Nash on July 1 is taking on even more importance at the faceoff dot. In the 5-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday, the first game without Dubinsky, he won nine of 12 draws (75 percent).
For the season he is at 52.8 percent (19 for 36).
"What's nice now is having Nasher a strong-side guy on the right side that can make those draws and take some pressure off us to win them on the left side," captain Nick Foligno said.
In addition to centers Dubois, Nash, Sedlak and Wennberg, wingers Foligno and Boone Jenner played there last season and are experienced on draws as well. Foligno has won 75 percent of his 12 attempts and Jenner 61.9 percent on 21 faceoffs this season.
"We know how important draws are," Foligno said. "We want to pitch in when we have to when things come up. We have confidence we can go out there and do our job in the faceoff circle. When you start with the puck it helps your shift."
Sedlak's winning percentage is 57.1 while Wennberg is at 37 percent with a record of 10-17. The clubhouse leader at 100 percent is forward Anthony Duclair … for a single faceoff.
The Blue Jacket won 53 percent of the draws vs. Colorado and are fourth-best in the NHL with a percentage of 54.9. Florida (52.6 percent) after one game. Saturday's opponent, the Tampa Bay Lightning, has won less than half of its faceoffs (47.4 percent) to sit 23rd.
"We did a pretty good job (Tuesday) but it's a never-ending battle," Nash said. "It's not just the centers, it's the forwards. We get a lot of 50-50 pucks. They're just sitting around the dots so having those wingers help out is what makes a great percentage."
Panthers on the prowl
No, the Blue Jackets haven't put home openers behind them. A 3-2 overtime win at the Detroit Red Wings on Oct. 4 was the season opener for both teams. The next night the Carolina Hurricanes spoiled the Blue Jackets' home debut at Nationwide Arena with a 3-1 victory. Now, it's the Panthers turn. Their lone game was a 2-1 shootout loss at Tampa Bay last Saturday.
Blue chips
The Blue Jackets have won four-straight vs. Florida and are 15-3-2 in the past 20 contests dating back to Mar. 21, 2009. … Defenseman Gabriel
Carlsson was assigned to the Cleveland Monsters
of the American Hockey League on Wednesday, leaving the Blue Jackets with seven defenseman. … Florida goaltender Roberto Luongo, 39, will be out two to four weeks after sustaining a sprained medial collateral ligament during the Tampa Bay game. James Reimer is expected to start vs. the Blue Jackets and former Winnipeg Jets goalie Michael Hutchinson will be his backup.
Blue Jackets projected lineup
Artemi Panarin -- Pierre-Luc Dubois -- Cam Atkinson
Nick Foligno -- Alex Wennberg -- Anthony Duclair
Boone Jenner -- Riley Nash -- Josh Anderson
Sonny Milano -- Lukas Sedlak -- Oliver Bjorkstrand
Zach Werenski -- David Savard
Ryan Murray -- Markus Nutivaara
Scott Harrington -- Adam Clendening
Joonas Korpisalo
Sergei Bobrovsky
Scratched: F Markus Hannikainen, D Dean Kukan
Injured: D Seth Jones (knee), F Brandon Dubinsky (oblique)