Stretch of home games on tap
WINNIPEG, Manitoba — The boys are back in town.
After playing four of their first six games on the road, the Blue Jackets kick off a four-game homestand against the red-hot Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.
With the Jackets enjoying so much success through their first six games — they won five of six for the best such start in franchise
history — Thursday’s game may just be the talk of the NHL.
Tampa Bay and Columbus in October? Believe it. The Lightning comes to Nationwide Arena at 5-1-1 after losing Tuesday to New Jersey in a shootout.
The Blue Jackets (5-1) have won their past four, their lone loss coming in Chicago on the second night of the season. Keeping up their play upon returning home will be huge.
“We’re going to be playing a real good team and it’s going to be big for us,” said captain Nick Foligno, who gave the Jackets a 2-0 lead in the second period of a 5-2 win Tuesday at Winnipeg.
“We are coming home and have to make sure the road hangover doesn’t affect our play. We have to be ready to play, and we better be ready to play Tampa.”
The Blue Jackets spent the night in Manitoba after Tuesday’s win before flying home Wednesday morning. After an off day, the team will get back to work with a rare morning game-day skate at Nationwide Arena.
“It’s going to be nice for us to be home,” said defenseman Jack Johnson, who made it 3-1 against the Jets with his first goal of the year. “For just two games, this was a long road trip for us. We’re all looking forward to coming home and we have some great teams coming up. But playing at home is nice. You get to sleep in your own bed, see the family. It’s convenient.”
Although coach John Tortorella wasn’t too pleased with his team’s starts recently, there was little to be critical of Tuesday. The Jackets came out flying against a Winnipeg team which had also won three consecutive games and dominated play throughout.
They built a threegoal lead going into the third period and made it a four-goal cushion when Zach Werenski made it 5-1 with 7:45 left.
“I like the way, as I said before the game, we’ve won games in different ways, not being at our best,” Tortorella
said. (Tuesday) was probably our best game, most consistent game, and we get rewarded. Having said that, you move on. You don’t get too excited. You keep it flat-lined.”
Things will not get easier.
Aside from the Lightning and Nikita Kucherov — who has eight goals in seven games — the Jackets will play host to the Los Angeles Kings, Buffalo Sabres and the Jets before a trip to St. Louis on Oct. 28.
Before embarking on a Sunshine State swing to visit Florida and Tampa Bay (with a trip to the New York Rangers for good measure), the Jackets will play five of their next six on home ice.
“Let’s enjoy this one, but we have to be ready for the next one,” Foligno said. “That’s always been our mentality. So I’m not worried about how this team will react for a big game that we have coming up.”