BLUE JACKETS (5-8-1) vs. PENGUINS (6-9-3), 7 PM, NATIONWIDE ARENA

HOW TO FOLLOW

For the Blue Jackets players and coaching staff, right now is a test of mentality as much as anything else.

Columbus enters tonight’s home game vs. Pittsburgh on a six-game losing streak, a 0-5-1 run that came on the heels of an exciting 5-3-1 start.

Making things even more disappointing is the fact the Blue Jackets haven’t exactly played bad hockey during the losing skid. It’s not like they’ve been skated off the ice by opposing teams, outshooting teams 214-179 during the streak and actually leading the NHL with 3.47 expected goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 during that span.

Those numbers are all well and good, showing the Blue Jackets have had the puck a lot and are generating chances. But the results – including just 11 goals in that six-game span – haven’t come, and head coach Dean Evason knows that’s what matters most.

“The frustrating part on the whole is that we’re playing extremely well in a lot of areas, we’re outplaying teams in a lot of areas, and we’re not getting the results,” Evason said. “That’s a positive end of it, but we’re a results league. We’re not satisfied with where we’re at, and we don’t want to get into a position where we’re accepting losing. So hopefully we can turn it around (tonight).”

Of the losses, Tuesday night’s 4-2 setback at Seattle might be the most frustrating of the group. Columbus dominated the Kraken for the first 20 minutes, taking a 2-0 lead into the locker room after the first period, but then lost its game and gave up four goals to Seattle in the second.

As Evason watched the film, he saw a team that went from playing its aggressive, structured game – what he calls “winning hockey” – to getting out of position, turning pucks over and allowing the Kraken too many odd-man rushes.

“You try to cheat the game a little bit to have success, to get out of it, to score a goal,” Evason said. “You can’t do that. If you do that, it eventually just compounds it even more. The mistake happens, and then you can’t recover from it, then the next one happens and it ends up in our net.”

To veteran Sean Kuraly, the answer is playing with patience and sticking to the game plan in the crucial moments of the game.

“We’re going to have to learn how to manage the momentum, you know, live to fight another day sometimes,” Kuraly said. “In this league, you have to defend really well to win games. Outscoring some of your problems is not the way to do it.”

Know The Foe: Pittsburgh Penguins

Head coach: Mike Sullivan (10th season)

Team stats: Goals per game: 2.72 (22nd) | Scoring defense: 3.83 (31st) | PP: 18.4 percent (20th) | PK: 82.4 percent (11th)

The narrative: It doesn’t feel that long ago that Pittsburgh was back-to-back Stanley Cup champs in 2016 and ‘17, but the reality is on the ice, those days in the rearview mirror. The Penguins have failed to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs each of the past two seasons and have struggled to begin this season, with a points percentage of .417 that is 14th in the Eastern Conference. Even with second-year GM Kyle Dubas in charge, the era of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang is closer to the end than the beginning.

Team leaders: The irony is that while the Pens’ team success has dropped off in recent years, it’s really through no fault of Crosby or Malkin. Even at age 38, Malkin leads the Penguins in scoring with a 5-13-18 line, while the 37-year-old Crosby is right behind with six goals and 16 points. Things drop off from there, though, as Rickard Rakell (6-5-11) and Erik Karlsson (2-8-10) are the only two other players in double digits in points.

Pittsburgh has used three goalies this season, led by Ohio native Alex Nedeljkovic’s nine games, but it seems likely Tristan Jarry gets his fourth start of the season vs. Columbus. The former All-Star is 1-1-0 with a 5.47 GAA and .836 save percentage.

What’s new: After the past two seasons without playoff hockey, the Pens did some retooling, bringing in veteran forwards Kevin Hayes, Anthony Beauviller and Blake Lizotte as well as defenseman Matt Grzylcek. Young goalie Joel Blomqvist has also earned a major role, but the Penguins haven’t really gotten going, dropping six straight at one point and entering this one with four losses in the last five games. Crosby continues to chase history, though, entering this game with 598 career goals.

Trending: Pittsburgh won three of four matchups a year ago, with the lone CBJ win coming in a shootout March 30 in Nationwide Arena. In all, Pittsburgh has been the Jackets’ most frustrating foe, as Columbus is just 4-14-5 in the series since 2017-18.

Former CBJ: None

Projected CBJ Lineup (Subject to change)

Scratches: James van Riemsdyk, David Jiricek, Jack Johnson

Injured reserve, Injured/Non-Roster list: Kent Johnson (upper body), Erik Gudbranson (upper body), Boone Jenner (upper body), Gavin Brindley (finger)

Roster Report: The Blue Jackets used these lines in practice Thursday, with Harris looking to potentially draw in for Jack Johnson. Kent Johnson practiced as he looks to return from injury, but Dean Evason said he won’t play in this one.

The Numbers Game

Zach Aston-Reese (goal, assist) and Kevin Labanc (two assists) both posted their first multipoint games as Blue Jackets on Tuesday in Seattle. … The Blue Jackets have killed 31 of 36 opposing power-play chances (86.1 percent) over the last 13 games. … 17 Blue Jackets have scored so far this season, two shy of the league lead held by St. Louis. … Marchenko has a 6-9-15 line in the last 14 games. … Monahan is one assist away from 300 in his NHL career, while Damon Severson is two points away from 300. … Elvis Merzlikins is one game from 200 in his NHL career. He would become the fifth CBJ goalie to reach that mark following Sergei Bobrovsky, Marc Denis, Steve Mason and Joonas Korpisalo. … With 312 career points, Zach Werenski sits five points shy of tying David Vyborny for fifth on the CBJ’s all-time points list.

This Day in CBJ History

Nov. 15, 2005: In one of the biggest trades in franchise history, the Blue Jackets acquire six-time All-Star Sergei Fedorov and a fifth-round pick in the 2006 NHL Draft from Anaheim in exchange for Tyler Wright and Francois Beauchemin.

Nov. 15, 2016: Cam Atkinson gives the Blue Jackets an overtime win vs. Washington in Nationwide Arena, scoring 37 seconds into the extra frame in a 2-1 victory.

Nov. 15, 2019: The Blue Jackets also win in overtime on this date, as Zach Werenski’s power-play tally was the difference in a 3-2 victory over St. Louis at Nationwide.

Nov. 15, 2021: Rookie forward Yegor Chinakhov notches his first career goal and adds an assist in a 5-3 win over Detroit at Nationwide Arena. At age 28, forward Justin Danforth also makes his NHL debut in the game.

Nov. 15, 2022: Columbus has a history of OT winners on this date, clearly, as Vladislav Gavrikov’s tally gives the Blue Jackets a 5-4 home victory over Philadelphia.