TBL at CBJ
Tampa Bay Lightning at Columbus Blue Jackets. Preview from the model, the licensed feeds and last season's measures. Nothing here is a betting recommendation.
- Model now
- Expected score
- Market
- —
- Venue
- Nationwide Arena
What the model says now
Lineups not yet published: each club's usual lineup assumed. Starting goalie not confirmed: goaltending held at league average. This estimate moves until the ledger freezes it before puck drop.
Source: CapOrCup game model (derived from club ratings, rest and starters)
What the schedule did to each side
Nights off, back-to-backs, third games in four nights, road-trip position and travel since the last game, from the statistical schedule. Shown as facts; rest is in the price, travel is not.
second of a back-to-back · fourth in six · game 4 of a road trip · rest disadvantage
1 night off · rest advantage
In goal
The league names no starter before puck drop. First on each club's depth chart, from the licensed feed, is the expected starter.
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Jet Greaves
Expected lines
What each club intends per the feed's depth chart, with each forward's shooter rating (Elo, against the goalies faced last season). A listing is the club's statement, not a game sheet.
Tampa Bay Lightning
L1 Gage Goncalves (above the league middle) · Brayden Point (below the league middle) · Nikita Kucherov (top tenth of the league)
L2 Brandon Hagel (above the league middle) · Anthony Cirelli (above the league middle) · Jake Guentzel (above the league middle)
L3 Ilya Mikheyev (above the league middle) · Zemgus Girgensons (below the league middle) · Pontus Holmberg (below the league middle)
D1 J.J. Moser (above the league middle) · John Carlson (above the league middle)
D2 Ryan McDonagh (above the league middle) · Erik Cernak (above the league middle)
PP1 Brandon Hagel (above the league middle) · Jake Guentzel (above the league middle) · Nikita Kucherov (top tenth of the league) · Brayden Point (below the league middle) · John Carlson (above the league middle)
Columbus Blue Jackets
L1 Matthew Knies (below the league middle) · Adam Fantilli (below the league middle) · Kent Johnson (bottom tenth of the league)
L2 Valeri Nichushkin (bottom tenth of the league) · Sean Monahan (below the league middle) · Dmitri Voronkov (above the league middle)
L3 Cole Sillinger (bottom tenth of the league) · Charlie Coyle (below the league middle) · Mathieu Olivier (above the league middle)
D1 Zach Werenski (top tenth of the league) · Damon Severson (above the league middle)
D2 Carson Soucy (above the league middle) · Denton Mateychuk (top tenth of the league)
PP1 Matthew Knies (below the league middle) · Charlie Coyle (below the league middle) · Adam Fantilli (below the league middle) · Kent Johnson (bottom tenth of the league) · Zach Werenski (top tenth of the league)
Who the clubs list as out
Club-announced listings relayed by the licensed feed. No cause is inferred; Day To Day players are shown but not counted as out.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Yanni Gourde (C): Out (hip), listed since 2026-09-16, expected back 2026-12-02
Columbus Blue Jackets
Caleb MacDonald (D): Out (lower-body), listed since 2026-09-23, expected back 2026-11-03
Dante Fabbro (D): Out (upper-body), listed since 2026-09-25, expected back 2026-11-03
Isac Lundestrom (C): Out (achilles), listed since 2026-09-25, expected back 2026-12-03
Ivan Provorov (D): Out (lower-body), listed since 2026-09-30, expected back 2026-10-18
Who has the whistle
Named by the league, usually near puck drop. Each referee's record is from last season's play-by-play penalties; ranks are distance from league norms.