Columbus broke out with three goals in a 2:59 span late in the second period in that one to end a two-game losing skid. The Blue Jackets are now 4-1-0 on home ice, where they're also perfect killing penalties (10-for-10).
Sergei Bobrovsky, who made 34 saves on 35 shots against the Sabres, will start for Columbus.
Steve Mason, a former Blue Jackets goalie, will start for Winnipeg. He hasn't played since facing Columbus on Oct. 17 at Bell MTS Place in Winipeg, allowing five goals on 39 shots in the Blue Jackets' 5-2 win.
SERIES RECORD
2017-18 Season: (1-0-0). This is the final meeting of the season. The Blue jackets won the first game 5-2 on Oct. 17 at Bell MTS Centre.
All-time: 12-11-0; 5-6-0 at Bell MTS Place
"BY THE NUMBERS"
EYES ON: THE JETS
EYES ON: THE BLUE JACKETS
FUN FACT
The Blue Jackets are one more assist by Panarin from having their third player in the span of 10 days reach 100 assists in their NHL careers. Seth Jones reached the milestone against Winnipeg in the first meeting this season, and Alex Wennberg got there with an assist against Buffalo on Wednesday.
QUOTABLES
"I spent a month before the season stating we're going to have [Alexander Wennberg] married to [Panarin], and you've got to be very careful. Things look good on paper, but sometimes it just doesn't work on the ice. So, I like the way it settled. I thought when we changed the lines, it changed our game. As always, I'm going to watch it and try to stay with it, but I'm never going to be a coach to just sit there and watch us die on the vine with it either." - Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella, on shaking up his line combinations
"It still drives me crazy he missed so much camp, and my conversations with Andy when this was going on … I think we were beginning to have an understanding. I think I was understanding him better, and I can see him as being a really good player in this league. He was stupid to take all that time off, but he's come back in, and he's earning what he's getting here." - Tortorella, on promoting Josh Anderson to the top line after the power forward missed the preseason because of a contract dispute.
"I mean, listen, I'm human. Obviously, it hurts a little bit to have that role taken away. I mean, for me to just say I don't really care would be a complete lie, and you guys know me better than that. Yeah, it was a tough conversation, without a doubt. But again, I owe it to my teammates to be who I am, the player this team needs me to be. So, I'm not going to let that affect me." - Blue jackets center Brandon Dubinsky on losing his role as an alternate captain
PROJECTED LINEUPS
JETS
Kyle Connor - Mark Scheifele - Blake Wheeler
Nikolaj Ehlers - Bryan Little - Patrik Laine
Brandon Tanev - Andrew Copp - Shawn Matthias
Brendan Lemieux - Matt Hendricks - Joel Armia
Josh Morrissey- Jacob Trouba
Tobias Enstrom - Dustin Byfuglien
Dmitry Kulikov - Tyler Myers
Steve Mason
Connor Hellebuyck
Out: Ben Chiarot, Marko Dano, Tucker Poolman
Injured reserve: Adam Lowry (upper body), Mathieu Perreault (lower body
BLUE JACKETS
Artemi Panarin - Nick Foligno - Josh Anderson
Boone Jenner - Brandon Dubinsky - Cam Atkinson
Matt Calvert - Alexander Wennberg - Oliver Bjorkstrand
Sonny Milano - Zac Dalpe - Pierre-Luc Dubois
Zach Werenski - Seth Jones
Jack Johnson - David Savard
Ryan Murray - Markus Nutivaara
Sergei Bobrovsky
Joonas Korpisalo
Out:Markus Hannikainen, Scott Harrington
Injured reserve:Gabriel Carlsson (undisclosed), Lukas Sedlak (ankle)
