The Blue Jackets (87) are one point ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers for third place in the Metropolitan Division and can pull even in points with the second-place Pittsburgh Penguins with a victory, though they will have played one more game.
Columbus can tie the Colorado Avalanche and Nashville Predators for the longest winning streak in the NHL this season. A 10-game streak would be the second-longest in team history; the Blue Jackets won 16 straight games from Nov. 29, 2016, to Jan. 3, 2017.
Florida, which is 11-2-1 in its past 14 games, needs one point to move into the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference. The Panthers trail the New Jersey Devils by one point and have played two fewer games.