The Columbus Blue Jackets entered last night riding high after a dominant 5-0 victory on opening night. But they entered the game facing a number of challenges:
- They were on the road.They were on the second leg of a back-to-back, while the Chicago Blackhawks last played on Thursday.
- Those same Blackhawks were a good team who themselves had dominated in their opener, defeating the defending Stanley Cup champions 10-1.
- Chicago was playing their primary goalie Corey Crawford while Columbus turned to backup Joonas Korpisalo.
- The Jackets’ lineup is the youngest in the league, while the Blackhawks feature a core that has won 3 Stanley Cups since 2010.