Tampa Bay Lightning at Columbus Blue Jackets 1/4/22 - NHL Picks & Predictions

The Columbus Blue Jackets remain at home on Tuesday and will host the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Blue Jackets are 15-14-1 on the year and sit 6th in the Metropolitan Division. Columbus has won just three of their last ten games and lost to the Hurricanes on Saturday. The Blue Jackets are 10-4-1 on their home ice. 

Elvis Merzlikins will protect the net for the Blue Jackets. Merzlikins is 12-8-1 on the year with one shutout. Merzlikins has allowed 61 goals this season and carries a .907 save percentage. The Columbus Blue Jackets average 3.20 goals per game which ranks 10th in the NHL. 

The Tampa Bay Lightning will play their second straight road game on Tuesday. The Lightning head into Columbus riding three straight loses. Tampa Bay is 21-8-5 on the season and lead the Atlantic Division. The Lightning are 10-5-2 on the road. 

Andrei Vasilevskiy will make his 26th start in the net for Tampa Bay. Vasilevskiy is 17-5-2 on the season with two shutouts. Vasilevskiy has allowed 56 goals and carries a 2.21 goals against average. Tampa Bay beat Columbus last season in their last meeting 4-3.