Columbus Blue Jackets at Florida Panthers Preview

The Columbus Blue Jackets will play in their sixth straight road game on Sunday, and they will again be taking on the Florida Panthers. Florida picked up a 5-2 win over Columbus on Saturday night and will be looking for a repeat performance on Easter Sunday.

Columbus has gone just 1-4 so far on this road trip, and they can’t wait to get back to home ice. The Blue Jackets have now slipped to 7th place in the Central Division, and the playoffs don’t seem like a real possibility this season.

Florida has won five straight games, and they are keeping the pressure on the Tampa Bay Lightning at the top of the Central Division. Both teams enter Sunday with 54 points on the season, and this should be a great race the rest of the way.

Bad Stretch For Blue Jackets

Not only have the Blue Jackets struggled mightily on this homestand, but they have won just three games since March 14. Columbus had gotten off to a decent start to the season, but things have unraveled in a hurry, and so too have the playoff chances.

Columbus just continues to struggle to find enough scoring options as this team is averaging just 2.47 goals per game. The Blue Jackets have converted on just 14 percent of their attempts on the power play, and this is another number that must improve.

The Blue Jackets are allowing just 3.1 goals per game, which should be good enough to win on most nights. Columbus needs to slow down the pace in this game as they just can’t keep up with the explosive Panthers.

Florida Feeling Good

The Florida Panthers thought they could be a playoff contender this season, but they just continue to exceed expectations. Now Florida has their sights set on a Stanley Cup, and this team enters Sunday with a ton of momentum.

Florida is scoring just under 3.3 goals per game, but they have the ability to light the lamp with frequency when they get rolling. The Panthers are led by 28 assists and 42 points from Jonathan Huberdeau, but this team is loaded with talent.

The Panthers will give up some goals, but they completely shut down the Blue Jackets attack on Saturday night.

Panthers Can’t Be Slowed Down

Columbus is going to find a way to turn things around eventually, but there just aren’t many off days with this schedule. Life in the new Central Division has been tough on the Blue Jackets, and playing on the road in Florida is a tall task.

Florida is on an absolute roll right now, and this team still has a chance to get even better as the season moves along. The Panthers can really score, and that has allowed them to pull away from most opponents, including Columbus.

The Blue Jackets should give the Panthers a better game on Sunday, but it’s just too hard to see them finding a way to come away with a win.