Columbus Blue Jackets vs Colorado Avalanche: Blue Jackets Need to Get Offense Going

• The Columbus Blue Jackets are on a three-game losing streak.
• The Avalanche are on a two-game losing streak.
• The Blue Jackets were 2-0-0 against the Avalanche last season.

Columbus Blue Jackets vs Colorado Avalanche Odds

Odds Taken from FanDuel Sportsbook

Columbus Blue Jackets vs Colorado Avalanche Picks

Colorado Avalanche beat Columbus Blue Jackets 4-2

Colorado Avalanche cover

Under 6.5 goals

Head-to-Head: Columbus Blue Jackets vs Colorado Avalanche

Columbus Blue Jackets vs Colorado Avalanche Predictions

The Columbus Blue Jackets will face off against the Colorado Avalanche at the Nokia Arena in Tampere, Finland. These two teams will also face each other tomorrow at the Nokia Arena as part of the NHL Global Series. 

The Blue Jackets are coming off a mediocre season that saw them miss the Playoffs for the third season in a row. However, they made some noise in the offseason when they signed Johnny Gaudreau to a seven-year contract. That move has proven to be a good one, even though the Blue Jackets are playing poorly right now. On the other side, the Avalanche are coming off a Stanley Cup victory and have maintained most of their roster. They may have lost their last two games, but they still have the best odds of winning the Stanley Cup.

The Blue Jackets have had a horrendous start to the season. They are on a three-game losing streak, and their defense is one of the worst in the league. With that being said, they have an excellent player in Johnny Gaudreau and some solid players in Kent Johnson, Yegor Chinakhov, and Jakub Voracek. Gaudreau is the best Blue Jacket and an elite hockey player. The man affectionately known as “Johnny Hockey” leads his team in points (8) and goals (5). Gaudreau is often on the ice with Kent Johnson. Johnson only plays a  little less than 13 minutes a game but has three goals and three assists. Yegor Chinakhov also does not play that much but makes a large impact. The winger has two goals and four assists and only has a TOI of 13:04. Finally, we make our way to Jakub Voracek. Voracek has five assists but also has a +/- of -7. He can be really solid but often has a negative impact on his team. 

The Blue Jackets have one of the worst goaltending duos in the league. Elvis Merzlikins and Daniil Tarasov play similar amounts, and their skill level is about the same. They are giving up 4.40 goals per game and have a combined save percentage of .840. This duo needs to improve to give their team a chance to win.

The Avalanche lost Nazem Kadri to the Calgary Flames this offseason but still have the rest of their playmakers from last year. Valeri Nichushkin, Nathan MacKinnon, and Mikko Rantanen are the best offensive players on the Colorado squad. All three of these players have at least 11 points and are playing over 20 minutes a game. Their impact cannot be understated, as they will be primarily responsible for whatever success Colorado has this season. 

Alexander Georgiev is the primary goaltender for the Avalanche. Georgiev is not an elite netminder, but he is reliable and consistent. The 26-year-old has a .918 save percentage and is only giving up 2.81 goals per game.

The Avalanche may be in a two-game slide, but they have a much more talented team than the Blue Jackets. They will emerge victorious in this game.

Why Might the Columbus Blue Jackets Win?

The Blue Jackets are the obvious underdogs but could win if they play tough defense and score on the power play.

The Blue Jackets have one of the worst defenses in the league and are giving up 4.40 goals per game. They need to figure out how to play tougher defense today. If they do, they may be able to limit the Avalanche's scoring attack.

The Blue Jackets are the only team in the league that has not scored a power-play goal. This has to change in this game. Columbus is facing a high-powered Colorado offense and may need to match their scoring with a power-play goal.

Why Might the Colorado Avalanche Win?

The Avalanche will likely win this game, but only if they slow down Johnny Gaudreau.

Johnny Gaudreau is the sparkplug of the Columbus offense. The Blue Jackets’ scoring starts and ends with Gaudreau. However, if the Avalanche slow him down, they can shut out the Blue Jackets.

Blue Jackets Key Players: (RW) Jakub Voracek

Jakub Voracek is an impressive player but has a +/- of -7. The Czech winger needs to play more intelligent hockey and make a more positive impact. The Blue Jackets’ offense will score more goals if he starts making smarter decisions.

Avalanche Key Player: (D) Cale Makar

Cale Make is the best Avalanche defenseman and one of the best defensemen in the league. Makar may only be 24 years old, but he was awarded the Norris Trophy (the award given to the top defenseman) last season.

Makar sets the tone for the rest of the Avalanche defensemen. He needs to continue to do that today. The Blue Jackets may have a weaker offense, but they can run up the score if the Colorado defensemen become complacent. Makar cannot allow this to happen.

How to Watch Columbus Blue Jackets vs Colorado Avalanche

• What: Columbus Blue Jackets vs Colorado Avalanche
• Where: Nokia Arena, Tampere, Finland
• When: Friday, November 4, 2:00 PM EST
• How to Watch: NHL Network