Columbus Blue Jackets sweep Washington Capitals to avoid elimination
Columbus Blue Jackets discuss sweep of Washington Capitals to avoid elimination
The Blue Jackets need the Montreal Canadiens to lose in regulation on April 16 in order to have any hope of reaching the playoffs.
But the Carolina Hurricanes might not be in a position to put up much resistance at the Bell Centre in Canada. With their postseason position secure, Carolina is set to rest many of their regulars.
According to the team’s website, Sebastian Aho, Jackson Blake, Jalen Chatfield, Seth Jarvis, Jordan Martinook, Jaccob Slavin, and Jordan Staal did not take part in the club’s morning skate, making it likely they will sit out the 7 p.m. game.
That would set the stage for Skyler Brind’Amour and Domenick Fensore to make their NHL debuts, and for 2023 first-round draft pick Bradly Nadeau to play in his second NHL game. Nadeau’s first NHL appearance came exactly one year ago in Columbus.
Since then, he has been a force at the AHL level, leading Carolina’s affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, with 30 goals this season. At 19, he is just the third teenager to record 30 AHL goals in the last 50 seasons.
… But he is still probably not who Blue Jackets fans hope to see on the ice in Montreal with their team’s playoff survival on the line.
If the Canadiens do lose in regulation, Columbus would still need a win in regulation in its regular-season finale, April 17th’s home game against the New York Islanders, to advance. That would extend the Jackets’ current win streak to six straight and give both them and the Habs 89 standings points, with the Blue Jackets moving on by virtue of a tiebreaker (wins in regulation).
How to watch Carolina Hurricanes at Montreal Canadiens
Unfortunately, there aren’t many local options to watch the April 16 game, but it will stream on ESPN+.
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