PREVIEW: Blue Jackets return home to take on Nashville

BLUE JACKETS (7-6-4) vs. PREDATORS (6-9-0)

It was simply a bevy of mistakes in defensive coverages, miscues that can be fixed, which the Blue Jackets started to do Wednesday with an hourlong practice that was preceded by a video session.
"We lose 7-3 and everybody thinks the world is caving in," Tortorella said. "That game isn't due to a lack of effort or being soft. That game gets out of control through a lack of concentration on what we just talked about (defensively). We gave up 17 scoring chances. I think we had 15. Out of the 17 scoring chances, 14 were in the defensive zone coverage. That's concentration, that's positioning, that's closing out.
"There's so many things that come into zone coverage, and our positioning is just not good enough, and I'll put it to you that way. Every time you get spanked, (people say), 'Oh, they didn't work hard enough.' That's not what happened."
So how do the Blue Jackets fix the defensive zone coverage issues, which have become a consistent theme through the first 30 percent of the season? Tape and practice sessions will be a big part of it, and in some ways, Columbus just has to play its way out of the early-season struggles.
Tortorella has talked often of "playing in fives," a way of saying all five players on the ice are connected, in the right position and playing as a unit. Too often this year, it just hasn't happened, which means chasing the puck in the defensive zone, few outlets to get it out of the zone, and fewer chances to get the forecheck going.
"Forwards need to get in better position as far as how they arrive in our end one when teams bring the puck in, and be in position if we do get out of coverage and get the puck and when we're ready to transition, be in position," Tortorella said. "One works off another. It's our arrival into the end one and then transitioning into offense. There needs to be a better concentration in the positioning of that."
A Nashville team that has struggled to both score goals and prevent them will give Columbus a chance to bounce back in a two-game set starting Thursday evening in Nationwide Arena. The Predators swept the season-opening series between the teams a month ago but have won just four games since then.
"Certainly you want to bounce back from a tough loss like that," forward Max Domi said. "We're not hitting the panic button by any means. We're in a good spot still and we have an opportunity to bounce back against another good team in Nashville and we're looking forward to it. We definitely owe them, so we'll be ready."
Know the Foe
Wins have been hard to come by for the Preds since Nashville started the year with the two-game sweep over the Blue Jackets. Nashville is just 4-9-0 in the ensuing 13 games, with a 2-6-0 record in the past eight contests and the last game a 4-2 loss to Detroit on Saturday (the last two scheduled for Dallas were postponed because of the winter weather to hit Texas).
Defense has been as big an issue for the Predators as the Blue Jackets, as Nashville is 25th in the NHL allowing 3.47 goals per game, the same as Columbus. In the last eight games, Nashville has allowed an average of 4.00 tallies per contest.
Offense has been an even bigger problem, though, with Nashville 29th in the NHL with just 2.33 goals per game. Just one player, Filip Forsberg, is in double digits in points, as the Swedish forward who had two goals vs. Columbus in the series earlier this year leading the way with a 7-7-14 line.
After that, it's been a struggle. Former Blue Jackets center Matt Duchene (3-5-8) and star defenseman Roman Josi (2-6-8) are next in points, followed by Mikael Granlund (3-4-7), Viktor Arvidsson (2-5-7) and Ryan Ellis (2-5-7). Former CBJ forward Ryan Johansen has had a struggle, posting a 0-4-4 line in 10 games before going on injured reserve with an upper-body injury.
The blue line also has been banged up, as Mattias Elholm is week-to-week and Luca Sbisa is out with an upper-body injury.
In net, both Juuse Saros and longtime Preds netminder Pekka Rinne have played in nine games. Saros has started eight and is 3-4-0 with a 3.66 GAA and .880 save percentage, while Rinne is 3-5-0 in seven starts with a 2.74 GAA and .907 save percentage.
3 Keys to the Game
Win special teams: Nashville's power play (14.6 percent, 23rd in the NHL) and penalty kill (67.8 percent, 30th) have been disasters. Columbus has a chance here to have a big edge.
Defensive improvement: The Predators might come up at the right time on the schedule given the CBJ's recent defensive woes, but the team still needs to make strides. It doesn't have to be perfect, but there has to be improvement from Monday.
Revenge: Nashville is the only team to sweep Columbus so far, winning the first two games of the year for each team in the Music City. The Blue Jackets would love to return the favor.
Of Note
The game begins a four-game homestand that also will feature a two-game set vs. Chicago following the games vs. Nashville. … Seth Jones saw a career-high-tying six-game point streak end Monday, but he still has seven points (1-6-7) in the last seven games. ... Jack Roslovic has a 4-6-10 line in the last eight games. … Cam Atkinson has three goals and four assists in the past three games as well as a 5-4-9 line in the last six. … Atkinson leads the Blue Jackets with six goals, with Boone Jenner one behind, as well as a 13 points to tie for the team lead with Oliver Bjorkstrand … Columbus has scored first in 13 of 17 games and outscored teams 21-10 in first period. … The teams did not play in Columbus last year because of the pandemic; the Blue Jackets won the last meeting between the teams in Nationwide Arena, a 4-3 overtime victory Jan. 10, 2019.
Projected Lineup
(Subject to change)
Patrik Laine - Jack Roslovic - Cam Atkinson
Mikhail Grigorenko - Kevin Stenlund - Oliver Bjorkstrand
Boone Jenner - Alexandre Texier - Nick Foligno
Eric Robinson - Riley Nash - Max Domi
Vladislav Gavrikov - Seth Jones
Scott Harrington - David Savard
Michael Del Zotto - Andrew Peeke
Elvis Merzlikins (confirmed starter)
Joonas Korpisalo
Scratches:Dean Kukan, Zach Werenski (lower body)
Taxi squad:Stefan Matteau, Liam Foudy, Emil Bemstrom, Gabriel Carlsson, Adam Clendening, Cam Johnson
Injured reserve:Matiss Kivlenieks (lower body, day to day), Gus Nyquist (shoulder, out 5-6 months as of November), Brandon Dubinsky (wrist, LTIR)
Roster report: Merzlikins makes his first start since Jan. 31, while Grigorenko goes in for Matteau at forward and Harrington plays in place of Kukan defensively, two changes to the 18-skater lineup from Monday vs. Carolina.