Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Columbus Blue Jackets Predictions, Picks and Preview – 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs – Eastern Conference First Round Game Three – April 16, 2017
The Pittsburgh Penguin’s defense has been dominating this first-round series. They’ve withstood a total of 139 shot attempts from the Blue Jackets in two games, blocking away 45 shots and conceding just two goals.
Marc-Andre Fleury has been a force between the pipes for the reigning Stanley Cup champs, who currently have a commanding 2-0 lead in the series. He’s picked up back-to-back wins, while carrying an excellent .972 SV% thus far.
However, with the series shifting to Ohio, the Penguins should expect a fired-up Columbus side. They need to keep it together mentally, and equal the intensity and energy level of the hosts right from the beginning.
Once they overcome that early storm, Pittsburgh can go for the kill by relying on its balanced scoring. Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel both scored and had one assist each in Game 2.
This is a must-win for the Columbus Blue Jackets who will be playing at Nationwide Arena, where they had a lot of success this year. They went 28-12-1 in the regular season at the said venue.
Take note, though, that the Blue Jackets are going to be without the suspended Matt Calvert, resulting to the recall of 2014 first round pick Sonny Milano. Milano played just four games for Columbus this season, and this will be his first-ever appearance in the postseason.
Calvert’s suspension is certainly a big blow to an offense that’s managed only two goals thus far in the series, with zero scores from Cam Atkinson who carries a team-high 35 regular-season goals. He needs to come alive here, needless to say.
Sergei Bobrovsky will continue to stay between the pipes for Columbus. He saved 28 of 31 shots in Friday’s loss in Game 2.
