The Columbus Blue Jackets possess great talent, but they remain at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division. It is not looking to get any easier as the Blue Jackets will host the Boston Bruins, who have the best overall record.
Columbus hasn't seen the star playmaking productivity from forward Johnny Gaudreau as he is getting paid to be. In 22 games this season, Gaudreau has accounted for only 11 points (fifth-most on the team) with only three goals and eight assists.
The Blue Jackets are ranked 24th in the league in goals per game (2.81). They are set to face one of the top defenses in the league in the Bruins. They are ranked fourth in goals allowed per game (2.5). It is going to take a combination of great team chemistry and reliability from their star players to establish a rhythm. Those are attributes the Blue Jackets do not possess.
The biggest and most exciting NHL matchup of the night is set for a 2022 Stanley Cup Finals rematch between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Colorado Avalanche.
Both the Lightning and the Avalanche possess two of the top-scoring offenses in the league. Colorado is ranked third in goals per game (3.75), while Tampa Bay ranks fourth in goals per game (3.71).
Tampa Bay is coming into the game with a big advantage as they are one of the least efficient defenses in the league. The Lightning allows an average of 3.52 goals per game, which is 27th in the league.
The Lightning will need to overpower the Avalanche on offense. They will need their stars to pick up the intensity and role players to establish their presence on the ice.
One role player for Tampa Bay that could be huge is defender Victor Hedman. In 21 games, Hedman has accounted for 22 points, with 18 of them being assists. He can be one of the key players of the night for the Lightning to help set up great scoring opportunities against an elite group of defenders in the Avalanche.
The Vegas Golden Knights are in a clear slump after starting the 2023-2024 NHL Season with an overall record of 11-0-1. The Golden Knights are still a much more efficient team than the Flames, even with their winning slump.
There haven't been many players that have helped the Golden Knights win games within the past two weeks, but forward Jonathan Marchessault has been keeping the team afloat. He has accounted for three goals and two assists in three of the last five games. Only he and star center Jack Eichel are the driving force of the team during this tough stretch.
Vegas is taking on a Calgary Flames team that is ranked 21st in the league in goals allowed per game (3.69 goals). This game should be a great opportunity for the Golden Knights to rebound and regain momentum. Calgary possesses reliable role players and defenders, but they haven’t established a clear form of consistent play as it shows in between games.
Rounding out the final game of the night on Monday is the Washington Capitals going on the road to take on the San Jose Sharks. This game has the potential to be either a low-scoring game or a complete blowout.
The Capitals and the Sharks are the two least effective scoring offenses in the league. Washington averages only 2.41 goals per game, with only San Jose being worse, averaging only 1.62 goals per game.
In this dreadful offensive game, something has to give. The Sharks are also the worst team in the league defensively as they allow an average of 4.14 goals per game. The Capitals are ranked ninth in goals allowed per game (2.82).
The Capitals are seeing more consistent play from center Dylan Strome than any other player within the past few games. He has accounted for four points in the last four games played, with two goals and two assists. He has a great chance to continue this solid run against a terrible Sharks defense on Monday night.
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