Columbus (22-19-4) at Edmonton (23-19-3), 9:00 p.m. EST
EDMONTON, Alberta (Ticker) -- Now that sniper Rick Nash is back
from an injury that kept him sidelined for four games, the
Columbus Blue Jackets can concentrate on tightening up their
defense.
Seeking a better effort on the defensive end, Nash and Blue
Jackets continue their three-game homestand against the Edmonton
Oilers on Tuesday.
After sitting out with a sprained right knee, Nash immediately
made his presence felt for the surging Blue Jackets as the
center recorded a goal and two assists before netting the
decisive tally in a 6-5 shootout win over the Vancouver Canucks
on Sunday.
Columbus opened its stretch at home by bouncing back from a 2-1
setback against the New Jersey Devils on Friday.
Rookie Steve Mason, who will start in goal for the rookies in
the YoungStars game as part of the All-Star Weekend festivities
in Montreal later in the month, entered the game with a
league-leading 1.81 goals-against average.
But he yielded five goals for just the second time this season
before finishing with 25 saves for Columbus, which has won five
of its last seven contests on the road.
Edmonton, meanwhile, won its second straight game after
defeating the Phoenix Coyotes, 6-3, on Sunday.
Captain Ethan Moreau registered his first career hat trick and
Ales Hemsky had two goals after missing 10 games because of a
concussion.