PREVIEW: Blue Jackets head home to take on Sharks

BLUE JACKETS (12-10-0) vs. SHARKS (13-10-1)

While away from home, Columbus was reminded of a difficult truth of the NHL. When things aren't going well, no one is there to help pick you up.
"Losing sucks," head coach Brad Larsen said. "It's hard. It's hard on everybody. But you have to dust yourself off and get ready for the next game because nobody cares. Other than our fans and us, we care, but the other teams want to kick you when you are down.
"These moments are incredible for our group, how we handle these situations. There's no easy way through it. If you could just get an easy game, it would be fantastic, but unfortunately this league is not going to do that for you. You have to go get it."
Those words were spoken before the game at Washington last night, but they remain the same after the Capitals were able to pull out a 3-1 victory over the Blue Jackets last night.
But a chance to atone comes quickly and it comes in the friendly confines of Nationwide Arena, as the Blue Jackets return home tonight to take on a San Jose that is off to a very good start and in the thick of the playoff race in the Western Conference.
Surely, the Blue Jackets will be happy to be home, but they know there's no such thing as an easy win coming up on the schedule.
"There's no easy games," Justin Danforth said. "We just have to take the game to the team, and I think in the third period (against Washington) we did that. Throughout the first and second, there were times we did it as well. We just have to do it for a full 60."
Indeed, if there was a theme of the Blue Jackets' postgame comments in D.C., it was that the Jackets have to play with desperation, and they have to do it for the entire 60 minutes of the game, if not more.
"You have to play right from the puck drop with that desperation," said Eric Robinson, who had the lone CBJ goal on the night. "At this point, with the games we've dropped here on this road trip, that should be enough motivation right there to play with that desperation from the start."

Know the Foe

Former Blue Jackets assistant coach Bob Boughner has the Sharks officially described as resurgent, as a team that has missed the playoffs for three straight seasons comes in occupying a wild card spot at fourth in the Pacific Division. San Jose comes in having won five of seven games, though the last game was a Friday night 1-0 loss at the New York Rangers.
Defense has been the calling card so far for San Jose, as the team is placed sixth in the NHL in goals allowed per game (2.54) and fourth in penalty kill at 87.1 percent. Offensively, the Sharks are 25th in the NHL in scoring with 2.58 goals per game, while the power play has struggled at just 16.9 percent, 22nd in the NHL.
Timo Meier leads the way offensively, as the Czech forward is having a tremendous season, placing tied for 14th in the NHL with 24 points thus far with 11 goals and 13 assists and a plus-12 rating in just 19 games. Captain Logan Couture is also off to a hot start with a 7-13-20 line and plus-11 rating.
From there, it's a largely balanced attack, as Tomas Hertl adds eight goals and 13 points, while Erik Karlsson is having his own resurgent campaign with a 5-8-13 line in 18 games. Brett Burns has a goal and 11 assists for 12 points, while Jonathan Dahlen, Alexander Barabanov, Rudolfs Balcers and Mario Ferraro each have 10 points.
In net, the Sharks have parted from longtime goalie Martin Jones and are splitting the starts between James Reimer and Adin Hill. In 14 games (12 starts), Reimer is 8-4-1 with a 2.05 goals-against average and .934 save percentage, while Hill has 12 games (11 starts) and is 5-6-0 with a 2.58 GAA and .908 save percentage.
This game completes a five-game road swing for San Jose.