BuffaloMat

Buffalo, NY • United States • 26 Years Old • Male

Direserif

Blue Jackets pre game show

Nationwide Arena - 7pm EST


Tonight the Blue Jackets host the Ducks in the last game of the road trip series for the Ducks before they go home. David Vyborny was placed on injured reserve and will not be playing tonight against the Ducks. Instead a young prospect from the Crunch in Syracuse named Derek Mackenzie will be taking his spot for the time being.

After speaking with a source in the Blue Jackets club about Vyborny, he could be out for a few weeks. They are not releasing anymore information until more results come back. "After the last few games they've been keying in on a lot of things that they are going to need to adjust to while Vyborny is gone, and get this kid (Mackenzie) some ice time." is what my source also said referring to the Vyborny injury.

Pascal Leclaire is probable to be in net tonight. No announcement has been made yet on who is starting but it seems Leclaire is the likely starter for tonights game against the Ducks as the Columbus Dispatch has written. Pascal Leclaire leads the NHL in Shut Outs with six this year thus far. Leclaire also is second in the league in lowest G.A.A with 1.92, only second to Chris Osgood who holds a 1.79 G.A.A and has played five less games than Leclaire.

Jean-Sebastien Giguere is also probable to start in net tonight for the Ducks. Giguere has one more win under his belt with eleven wins. That is one more win than Leclaire has right now, and they have played an equal amount of games. Sources also say that Giguere's groin has been bothering him a bit the past four days.

With Nash being the 20th highest point scorer in the NHL at the moment, the Ducks will be focusing on shutting him down along with the force of Nikolai Zherdev. To penetrate the Blue Jackets enough to break down Leclaire is a very difficult task. I see the Jackets getting as rough as they can and forcing themselves to the net. The long travel for the Ducks might be what the Jackets need to pull a win off tonight and close their home stretch schedule off with the Avalanche Wednesday.

Remember that on October 5th, 2007 Pascal Leclaire shut out the Ducks 4-0. However a month later the Ducks fired back with a 2-1 win against the Jackets. It seems the Jackets have the home advantage thing going on right now especially not having to travel and the Ducks having to might make it a blessing in disguise for the Jackets.

Game on!

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