Preview: Bobrovsky out but Jackets ready for joust with Golden Knights

GAME 67: GOLDEN KNIGHTS (42-18-5) AT BLUE JACKETS (33-28-5)
Location:Nationwide Arena, 7 P.M., Tuesday
TV:Fox Sports Ohio/Fox Sports Go (Jeff Rimer, Jody Shelley); AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountains
Radio:97.1 FM & BlueJackets.com (Bob McElligott)
The Blue Jackets have another big challenge ahead.
The Vegas Golden Knights will make their first-ever visit to Columbus looking to sweep the two-game season series from the Blue Jackets, who won't have their top goalie in net. Sergei Bobrovsky is sick and Joonas Korpisalo - who's allowed five goals in each of his past two games - will get the start in net.
"It's just like anybody that we've talked about here, guys that have had, you'd have to say 'off' years," Columbus coach John Tortorella said at the team's morning skate. "You have this window of games to not worry about what your numbers are but, try to help a team get [into the playoffs. That's our total focus here. For each player, that's what it should be. 'Alright, this is my opportunity to help a team try to find a way to get another win.'"
Jeff Zatkoff, called up Tuesday morning from the Cleveland Monsters on an emergency recall, will handle the backup duties for the Blue Jackets - who are clinging to the second wild card in the Eastern Conference by a point over the Florida Panthers and two points over the Carolina Hurricanes.
If Columbus is going to win, the Jackets need Korpisalo to come up with a solid performance against one of the highest-scoring teams in the league.
"With 16 [games] left, it gets shorter and shorter," Tortorella said. "As I've always felt when we've entered this stage of the season, it's a great challenge and a great opportunity all wrapped in one."
The Golden Knights are coming off a 3-2 victory Sunday against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center, which ended a three-game winless skid. They'll again look to overwhelm the Blue Jackets, similar to the way they did in winning the first game Jan. 23 at T-Mobile Arena.
Columbus remembers the sting of that 6-3 loss and would like to draw even against the Golden Knights after salvaging a three-game road trip Sunday with a 4-2 victory against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center. That victory moved them back into the East's second wild card with 71 points.
That's only three points behind the New Jersey Devils, who occupy the East's first wild card. The Panthers (70 points) and Hurricanes (69 points) are each within two points, and Florida has played three less games.
The Blue Jackets are hoping to start a winning streak that lasts longer than three games since their six-game winning streak in November. A victory against one of the league's top teams could be a nice springboard.

SERIES RECORD
2017-18 Season: (0-1-0). This is the finale of the two-game season series. The Golden Knight won the first game, 6-3, on Jan. 23 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
All-time (W-L-T-O): 0-1-0-0 overall; 0-0-0-0 in Columbus
WHO'S HOT
Golden Knights: Jonathan Marchessault had a five-game point streak end against the Devils, but the former Blue Jackets' forward is red hot of late. He had seven points (one goal, six assists) in the streak and has points in 10 of the past 15 games for Vegas.
Blue Jackets: Artemi Panarin scored two goals against the Sharks on Sunday for his 19th and 20th goals of the season. Panarin has recorded at least a point in seven of the past eight games and has nine points (five goals, four assists) in that span.
EYES ON: THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS
EYES ON: THE BLUE JACKETS
QUOTABLE
Vegas
"It's always special to go back to where you played. I had two great years here, so it's going to be a special night for me." - Golden Knights center William Karlsson, who began his NHL career with the Blue Jackets
Columbus
"I think it's almost better he wasn't prepared to play tonight. He can just go in there open-minded and just play his game. We haven't played great in front of him the last couple games that he's played, so hopefully we can go out there and play better for him." - Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski on Korpisalo
PROJECTED LINEUPS
GOLDEN KNIGHTS
Forwards
Jonathan Marchessault - William Karlsson - Reilly Smith
David Perron - Erik Haula - Tomas Tatar
Ryan Carpenter - Cody Eakin - Alex Tuch
Tomas Hyka - Tomas Nosek - Ryan Reaves
Defensemen
Brayden McNabb - Colin Miller
Shea Theodore - Deryk Engelland
Jon Merrill - Brad Hunt
Goaltenders
Marc-Andre Fleury
Maxime Lagace
Others: Nate Schmidt (undisclosed), James Neal (hand), Oscar Lindberg (upper body), Luca Sbisa (undisclosed)
Injured Reserve: Will Carrier (upper body), Malcolm Subban (upper body), Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (hand)
Long-Term IR: David Clarkson (back), Mikhail Grabovski (concussion), Clayton Stoner (abdominal)
BLUE JACKETS
Forwards
Artemi Panarin - Pierre-Luc Dubois - Cam Atkinson
Sonny Milano - Nick Foligno - Oliver Bjorkstrand
Boone Jenner - Alex Wennberg - Thomas Vanek
Matt Calvert - Brandon Dubinsky - Mark Letestu
Defensemen
Zach Werenski - Seth Jones
Jack Johnson - Ryan Murray
Ian Cole - David Savard
Goaltenders
Joonas Korpisalo
Jeff Katkoff
Others: Scott Harrington, Taylor Chorney, Lukas Sedlak, Markus Hannikainen, Josh Anderson (knee)
Injured reserve: Dean Kukan (upper body), Markus Nutivaara (upper body)