Live NHL action on ESPN tonight comes from the Nationwide Arena as the Columbus Blue Jackets start life without headcoach Ken Hitchcock as the Dallas Stars come to town.
Dallas Stars @ Columbus Blue Jackets
The Dallas Stars currently find themselves in tenth place in the west, three points adrift of the eighth placed Calgary Flames and a playoff spot. The Stars are 6-4-0 in their last ten games which included a prolonged home-stand where Dallas is most effective. In their last five games on the road the Stars are only 1-4-0 and have conceded twenty two in that period, an average of 4.40 goals a game. Their penalty kill has also been woeful, stopping only 61% of the powerplays they have faced. From an offensive point of view, the Stars managed 2.60 goals per game over that five game period and converted 11% of their powerplay opportunities. Goaltender Marty Turco was on great form in his last game when the Stars defeated the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday but that was in Dallas and on the road Turco has been less than effective. In his last five road games Turco has conceded eighteen goals and is 1-4-0, much like the Stars themselves. On the injury front the Stars find themselves without forwards Brian Sutherby, who has a sprained shoulder, Mike Ribero and Tom Wandell, who is out for the season.
Tonight’s game marks the start of a new era for the Columbus Blue Jackets as interim manager Claude Noel takes the bench for his first game in charge. Currently sitting in thirteenth in the West, GM Scott Hawson believed that it was time for a change and removed Ken Hitchcock as coach. Columbus are an average 4-6-0 in their last ten games but are slightly better at home, going 3-2-0 in their last five games at the Nationwide. They are coming off a heavy defeat on Tuesday night as they let in five in Colorado, including two shorthanded goals in the third period. Over their last five home games the Blue Jackets are managing an average of 3.00 goals a game while conceding 2.80 goals a game. They have a penalty kill of 78% and are converting an underwhelming, although better than Dallas, 15% of their powerplay opportunities. Columbus has been the text book definition of inconsistency recently as well. They have alternated wins and losses over the last nine games although one recent positive has been the form of captain Rick Nash who has five goals and five assists in his last nine games. Injury wise the Jackets are without defenseman Rostislav Klesla who is out indefinitely while other D-liner, Mike Commodore is day-to-day with a dead leg.
While neither team inspire much confidence, Dallas’ woes on the road coupled with the new manager factor in Columbus has me leaning towards the Jackets in this one. Columbus are currently 8/11 at Blue Square (including OT) although every game that these two teams have played have finished with the winning team winning by at least two so Columbus -1.5 at 2/1 is an interesting choice.