On Friday night there is just one game on the NHL schedule, as the Columbus Blue Jackets start a road trip and hope they can have some energy after a nice overtime result on Thursday.

The Chicago Blackhawks provide the opposition, and they may be a little happier now than they were before… that is, IF they think they may have solved what had looked like a woeful goaltender situation at the season’s outset.

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Columbus Blue Jackets at Chicago Blackhawks Preview

Blue Jackets vs. Blackhawks Predictions

When: 8 PM ET

NHL Betting Line: Blue Jackets -125, Blackhawks +105

Total: Over 5.5 -120, Under 5.5 +100

Yes, you are thinking that it is to the Blackhawks’ advantage to be hosting a Blue Jackets team coming straight from a game on Thursday night, while they have had a day of rest since their shootout loss to Nashville.

And that is not a bad fundamental thought, especially considering that this is Columbus’ third game in four nights, with the other two against Florida ending in shootouts after an overtime period.

But there might be a compelling case to be made for CBJ, which comes into this game with a 3-2-3 record.

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Chicago forward Alex DeBrincat and defenseman Adam Boqvist were placed on the COVID-19 list, and that has the effect of compromising the power play unit and making coach Jeremy Colliton scramble around for options.

Columbus’ attack is getting the benefit of an infusion, and some of it is from a hometown boy. Jack Roslovic, a Columbus native recently acquired from Winnipeg, is centering the third line now, and he’s pretty familiar with Cam Atkinson, the right wing on that line, since the two work out a lot together in the off-season. Mikko Koivu was finally cleared to play, and the 16-year veteran who signed as a free agent after spending his whole career in Minnesota is centering another line.

Max Domi, who came over from Montreal, found the mark for the first time as a Blue Jacket against the Panthers. Things have been slow in coming, but they’re excited about him centering the first line. Domi, a former first-round pick of the Coyotes, scored 28 points with 44 assists for Les Canadiens two seasons ago.

When you look at this Chicago team, it was dead last in the NHL last season in shots against, high danger chances against and expected goals against in even strength ( 5 v 5) situations. That is an obvious indication that the defense was vulnerable. And nothing earth-shattering was done in the off-season to remedy that. In addition, the club lost veetran goaltender Corey Crawford, who had played at an elite level in leading the team to two Stanley Cup titles.

So it was back to “square one” with that position. And Kevin Lankinen, who was originally expected to be a taxi-squad guy, has forced his way into playing time. Don’t get us wrong – in his first outing in the NHL it looked like he might have been playing for the other team. But he has been brilliant since; against Nashville on Wednesday, he stopped all but one shot, with 41 saves in all, and went to the fourth round of the shootout before letting in the Predators’ winner.

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But a bad sign was that the Blackhawks have surrendered over 80 shots on goal in these last two games. And since Collotin has indicated an intention to rotate his goaltenders to a certain extent, we might have a reasonable expectation that Malcolm Subban (brother of PK) will get the call in goal on Friday.

No one ever said the kid didn’t have talent; he certainly had enough that he was a first-round draft pick of the Boston Bruins. But he’s not been able to do enough to stick there or with Vegas, and in his first game with the ‘Hawks he was blasted for five goals in 33 shots by Tampa Bay. He “settled down” to yield just three goals in his next outing.

We haven’t mentioned Collin Delia yet, but he flopped as well in his two appearances, allowing ten goals. Clearly Lankinen (2.18 GAA) looks like the guy who gives this team the best chance to win. And Collotin has to take that into consideration. But without hearing anything definitive from the coach, we have to approach this accordingly. So……

The Play:

(With Lankinen in net)

CHICAGO +105

(Without Lankinen in net)

COLUMBUS -125

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