Florida Panthers at Columbus Blue Jackets Preview

Florida comes into this game having won just two of their last five, but this has still been a good season for the Panthers. This team is sitting in third place in the Central Division with 34 points and looks like a playoff team.

The Blue Jackets have shown some flashes of solid play this season, but they just haven’t been able to find any consistency. Columbus enters play on Tuesday night with just 25 points and is in 5th place in the tough Central Division. 

The Florida Panthers are -130 over the Columbus Blue Jackets in this Central Division matchup. 

Blue Jackets Need More Scoring

If Columbus is going to get back in the playoff race this season, then they are going to have to get more goal-scoring. The Blue Jackets are scoring just 2.6 goals per game, and their offense has been almost non-existent in their losses.

Cam Atkinson has been the best offensive performer for Columbus this season, leading the way with 10 goals and 19 total points. Defenseman Seth Jones has gotten in on the action as well, leading the way with 12 assists.

Joonas Korpisalo continues to get the most time in net, but he has also continued to struggle. The Blue Jackets allow over 3.1 goals per game, and they just don’t have the firepower to overcome that number. 

Panthers Look For Real

Florida is scoring nearly 3.3 goals per game while holding opponents to 2.9 goals per night. The Panthers are very comfortable playing their games at a fast-pace, and they have the offense to be able to pull that off.

Jonathan Huberdeau could cause some problems for the Blue Jackets on Tuesday night, as he has been the offensive star for the Panthers. Huberdeau leads the team with 10 goals and 19 assists, but he has gotten plenty of support.

The Florida Panthers look like a legitimate Stanley Cup title contender this season, and they are only going to keep getting better. 

Expect a Close Game

The Panthers and Blue Jackets played to a one-goal game in each of the last two meetings, and there doesn’t appear to be much separation between the two teams. Florida has had a much better season, but this just shows that Columbus has what it takes to be a playoff contender in the Central.

Columbus continues to look for more offense, but they do have the talent to get things turned around. Taking on the Florida Panthers is not an easy task, but there aren’t many easy opponents in the Central Division. 

Playing on home ice, the Columbus Blue Jackets should be able to find a way to solve the Florida Panthers and pull off this slight upset.