PREVIEW: Coming off win, Blue Jackets finish season vs. Penguins

BLUE JACKETS (37-37-7) at PENGUINS (45-25-11)

The Blue Jackets not only beat the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning, they did it by a convincing 5-2 score. Five different CBJ players tallied as the Blue Jackets pulled away, turning a 2-1 lead after two periods into a game that wasn't in question at the final gun.
It gave the faithful in Nationwide Arena, who turned out in droves throughout the season, one final chance to cheer the team this year as the clock ticked down to all zeroes. It was a deserved send-off for a team that won't make the playoffs but did perform better than just about anyone in the NHL expected this season.
"I think this was really, really important for us," goalie Elvis Merzlikins said after the game. "Especially for our fans. They deserved it. They were super loud for us all season. They were supporting us even in bad times and obviously in good times.
"I don't know, for me personally, it was really, really important to win this game. It was the last home game here, they deserved a win. They deserved a party and they deserved to enjoy it."
And yet … there's still one game to go tonight in Pittsburgh, which has been a house of horrors for the Blue Jackets throughout the 21-year history of the franchise.
"It's an 82-game season, and we've played 81 right now," rookie Cole Sillinger said. "Tomorrow we'll all be looking at a win. We're going to go into a building where it's not going to be easy. They're built for the playoffs. They're gonna be a playoff team, but that would be amazing to finish over .500.
And as Sillinger pointed out, the Blue Jackets would finish on the right side of the ledger - at least the hockey version - with a win. The victory against Tampa Bay on Thursday night pushed the team to 37-37-7, a mark not many expected going into a season when all the pundits picked the team to finish last in the Metropolitan Division.
But Thursday night's victory had a lot of the hallmarks of the CBJ season, including opportunistic scoring, players stepping up amid adversity and a team-first mentality that pushed the Blue Jackets to a win. It was the second straight solid performance against the Lightning, as well, as Columbus also turned in a solid effort during Tuesday's 4-1 loss in Tampa that was closer than the final score would indicate.
"There was a lot to like about that game we lost," head coach Brad Larsen said. "We lost 4-1, but you go over the video, and it's a hard job, but you try to pull some things that can help them at both ends of the rink. I thought the game in Tampa, we did a good job denying the middle of the ice. They do it all night long and they try to catch you sleeping. (We saw) some of the positive things we did in the offensive zone and tracking.
"It's nothing earth-shattering, but there was some stuff there I think they could see and it worked well in game one even though we didn't get the result. Tonight, they replicated that with a few guys out of the lineup. It was great."
Oh yeah, and then there's the lineup. The Blue Jackets lost defensemen Zach Werenski and Nick Blankenburg to injuries during Tuesday night's game, giving the team nine players on either injured reserve or unavailable for Thursday night's contest, yet the Jackets yet again bonded together to earn the win.
"It's nothing new, right? Guys being out of the lineup with injuries and stuff like that," Sillinger said. "We knew we were going to have to stick together and battle. It was our last game at home, and it was nice to get a win in front of our amazing fans."

Know the Foe

If it's spring, it must be playoff time in Pittsburgh, where the Penguins are gearing up for an NHL-best 16th straight postseason appearance.
The coaches have changed -- the run began under Michel Therrien, then Dan Bylsma, Mike Johnston and now Mike Sullivan -- but it turns out the trio of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang is enough to lead to postseason play just about every year.
While the supporting cast is different now -- Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust occupy spots once held by Jordan Staal and Phil Kessel -- Crosby and Malkin remain among the most impactful players in the NHL.
In his 17th season, Crosby has posted another fantastic year at age 34. The Nova Scotian has missed 13 games but remains tied for 21st in the NHL in points this season, notching 31 goals and adding 53 assists for 84 points. Malkin, meanwhile, also has been a point-per-game player in year No. 16, with the 35-year-old posting a 19-21-40 line in 40 games.
They're far from the only Penguins to have their share of injuries this year, with only forward Evan Rodrigues and defenseman John Marino reaching the 80-game mark. Guentzel has cemented himself as an elite goal scorer, though, with 40 goals (tied for 13th in the NHL) in 75 games and 43 assists as well for 83 points. Rust has played just 59 games but is fourth on the team in scoring with a 24-34-58 line.
Letang, 34, leads the way from the blue line as he often has, posting a 9-58-67 line that puts him tied for 14th in the entire NHL and tied for fourth among blueliners.
Tristan Jarry earned an All-Star bid for his play in net that includes a 34-18-6 record, but he suffered a right foot injury that has his status for the playoffs in doubt. Casey DeSmith has been the top backup all year and is 10-6-5 in 25 games while posting a 2.78 GAA and .914 save percentage, while Louis Domingue has played two games as well.
On the whole, Pittsburgh has used defense as its calling card, placing fifth in the NHL with 2.70 goals allowed and third in penalty kill at 85.0 percent. Through the injuries, the Pens have still averaged 3.26 goals per game to place 11th in the NHL, but the power play is 18th in the league at 20.4 percent.