Coming into yesterday, Hockey Viz had Columbus with a 90% chance of playing Pittsburgh in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. SportsClub Stats has them at a 99.1% chance of meeting, giving the Jackets a 47% chance of home ice advantage in their first round series.
So yeah, this is a big game. It will go a long way towards settling the 2nd and 3rd seeds in the Metro division. The Penguins jumped the Jackets on Sunday with their win over the Hurricanes and the Jackets’ loss to the Capitals.
Both teams are limping towards the end of the regular season.