Preview: Jackets 'full of energy' with rivalry, chance to clinch on tap

GAME 81: PENGUINS (45-29-6) AT BLUE JACKETS (45-29-6)
Location:Nationwide Arena, 7 p.m., Thursday
TV:FOX Sports Ohio/FOX Sports Go (Jeff Rimer, Jody Shelley) -
FOX Sports Ohio channel finder
- Columbus/Lima and Cleveland areas can find the game on the main FOX Sports Ohio cable channel
- Cincinnati, Dayton, Louisville/Lexington, Charleston/Huntington, Toledo areas can find the game on the alternate FOX Sports Ohio cable channels
Radio:97.1 FM & BlueJackets.com (Bob McElligott)
It's not just another game, so the Blue Jackets aren't even bothering with that reply when asked about their final regular-season game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Qualification for the Stanley Cup Playoffs is on the line for Columbus, which can clinch a postseason spot with at least one point earned. Home-ice advantage for at least the Eastern Conference First Round could also be on the line for the Blue Jackets, who will try to avoid being swept by the Penguins in the season series.
Plus …
"It's Pittsburgh," coach John Tortorella said Wednesday, after an abbreviated practice at Nationwide Arena. "I mean, eventually, if you have an opportunity to get in, as we're still trying to fight [to do], you're going to have to go through there. They're that good. Two-time Stanley Cup winner [the past two years]. They're a really good team. So, let's play."

They will, soon enough, and the Blue Jackets have to like their chances a lot better than the last game against Pittsburgh, a 5-2 loss Feb. 18 at Nationwide Arena. Columbus was missing numerous key players because of injuries and sustained two more when defenseman Dean Kukan and captain Nick Foligno were hurt during the game.
That game was held about a week before the NHL Trade Deadline of Feb. 26, when the Blue Jackets bolstered their roster by adding veterans Mark Letestu and Thomas Vanek up front and former Penguins defenseman Ian Cole on the back end.
Columbus is 16-4-1 since last playing Pittsburgh and is second only to Nashville in the NHL during that time with 33 points earned. The Jackets also rattled off a 10-game winning streak during that span, fixed its troublesome power play and has overcome three-goal deficits in three of the past four games.
Columbus is riding a wave of confidence now, which the Blue Jackets hope will carry them into the playoffs for a second straight season - a back-to-back feat that's never been done in franchise history.
"I'm just excited for the guys that they have an opportunity to play another game that means something, and when it's Pittsburgh there's a little bit more there," Tortorella said. "It's a great team. It's the Stanley Cup championship team. I want [our guys] to have a ball. I don't have to worry about motivating a team, but I'm certainly not going to [keep them] down. I want 'em to come out there full of energy and let's go play."

SERIES RECORD
2017-18 Season: (0-1-2). This is the finale of the series, which the Penguins can sweep with a win. Pittsburgh won the first two games at PPG Paints Arena via shootouts and won 5-2 on Feb. 18 in Columbus.
All-time (W-L-T-O): 12-16-6 overall; 8-6-3 at Nationwide Arena
WHO'S HOT
Penguins: Patric Hornqvist has as three-game goal streak and 10 points (seven goals, three assists) in the past 10 games; Carl Hagelin has three points (one goal, two assists) in a three-game point streak.
Blue Jackets: Cam Atkinson has seven goals, five assists and 12 points in a season-high eight game point streak, including two power-play goals Tuesday against Detroit; Artemi Panarin had a goal and two assists to reach 80 points and set a new franchise record for points in a single season, passing Rick Nash's 79 points in 2008-09.
SPECIAL TEAMS
POWER PLAY
Columbus
Pittsburgh
PENALTY KILL
Columbus
Pittsburgh

SCOUTING REPORT
EYES ON: THE PENGUINS
EYES ON: THE BLUE JACKETS

PROJECTED LINEUPS
PENGUINS
Forwards
Jake Guentzel - Sidney Crosby - Bryan Rust
Carl Hagelin - Evgeni Malkin - Patric Hornqvist
Conor Sheary - Riley Sheahan - Phil Kessel
Zach Aston-Reese - Josh Jooris - Tom Kuhnhackl
Defensemen
Brian Dumoulin - Kris Letang
Olli Maatta - Justin Schultz
Jamie Oleksiak - Chad Ruhwedel
Goaltenders
Matt Murray
Casey DeSmith
Others: Derick Brassard (lower body), Carter Rowney (upper body), Matt Hunwick, Dominik Simon
Injured Reserve: None
BLUE JACKETS
Forwards
Artemi Panarin - Pierre-Luc Dubois - Cam Atkinson
Boone Jenner - Alex Wennberg - Thomas Vanek
Oliver Bjorkstrand - Mark Letestu - Alex Broadhurst\
Sonny Milano - Brandon Dubinsky - Matt Calvert
Defensemen
Zach Werenski - Seth Jones
Ian Cole - David Savard
Ryan Murray - Jack Johnson
Goaltenders
Sergei Bobrovsky
Joonas Korpisalo
Others: Scott Harrington, Taylor Chorney, Lukas Sedlak (upper body), Nick Foligno (lower body), Markus Nutivaara, Josh Anderson (knee)\, Dean Kukan, Eric Robinson
Injured reserve: None
*NOTE: There is a chance Anderson could play. If so, it's unknown where he would be placed in the lineup. The most likely spot would be right wing on the third line, where Broadhurst started out Tuesday.