The Columbus Blue Jackets will play their home opener tonight against the Florida Panthers.
The Blue Jackets will finally play their home opener after opening the season on the road.
The CBJ went 1-1 on the two-game roadie, losing to Minnesota and beating Colorado. The team has to be happy about returning home at 1-1.
But now they return home in what will be a very emotional night for the team and fans. The team will honor the lives of Johnny & Matthew Gaudreau in front of his teammates, fans, and their families. There won't be a dry eye inside Nationwide Arena.
For Florida, who played on Monday, there may be a few lineup changes. Sergei Bobrovsky played against the Boston Bruins on Monday, so Spencer Knight may get the start. Matthew Tkachuk will be out of the lineup due to illness, so the Jackets get a lucky break there.
Series History vs. The Panthers
- The Blue Jackets are 16-6-3 at home vs. the Panthers all-time, and 26-19-5 in all meetings.
- The Jackets are 0-4-1 in the last five.
Who To Watch For The Panthers
- Sam Bennett has 4 points in the first three games.
- Sam Reinhart has 3 points in three games.
- Sergei Bobrovsky is 1-1 with a .897 save %
- Spencer Knight is 0-1 with a .846 save %.
CBJ Player Notes vs. The Panthers
- Sean Monahan has 13 points in 18 career games vs. Florida.
- Zach Werenski has 15 points in 22 games, including a hat trick on December 31, 2019.
- Damon Severson has 13 points in 23 games.
Injuries
- Justin Danforth (wrist) is on the Injured/Non-Roster List.
- Boone Jenner (upper body) is on Injured Reserve.
- Dmitri Voronkov (upper body) is on Injured Reserve.
- Gavin Brindley (broken finger) is on Injured Reserve.
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 8
How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on Bally Sports Ohio. Steve Mears will be on the play-by-play. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.
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