Blue Jackets set sail in '18-19 on sea of red

The Blue Jackets are getting used to seeing red.
After their first-round loss to the Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals in April, Columbus will continue its own quest for the Cup by starting next season against two more red-clad teams - the Detroit Red Wings and Carolina Hurricanes.
The Blue Jackets will open their 2018-19 schedule with back-to-back games, starting at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 4 at Little Caesar's Arena and returning home Friday, Oct. 5 to Nationwide Arena for a 7 p.m. home-opener against the Hurricanes.
It's the first time Columbus has opened on the road since 2014, when the Blue Jackets defeated the Buffalo Sabres 3-1 at KeyBank Center.

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Columbus went 3-0-0 against the Red Wings last season, including an exciting 2-1 shootout win Nov. 11, 2017 in Detroit, and split a four-game series against Carolina by going 2-2-0 overall and 1-1-0 iat Nationwide Arena.
Carolina will have a new look on the bench, as former star Rod Brind'Amour takes over for Bill Peters - who left to coach the Calgary Flames. Brind'Amour, the Hurricanes' captain when they won the Stanley Cup in 2006, is going into his first season as a head coach.
Columbus is 7-7-2 with one tie all-time in home-openers, including a 5-0 win against the New York Islanders last season. The franchise's record in season-openers is 7-8-1 with one tie.
The Blue Jackets will also be involved in a third home-opener Oct. 11 in Sunrise, Fla., when they face another team that wears red, the Florida Panthers, at BB&T Center.
The remainder of the 2018-19 schedule is expected to be released on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
LEARN MORE: 2018-19 Season Ticket Plans