Andrew Cogliano returned to the San Jose Sharks line-up after departing from the team briefly for a family emergency. His return came at the perfect time, as Rudolfs Balcers was out with an undisclosed lower-body injury and the Sharks were seeking a bounce back game after their winning record was deflated by a 1-0 shutout loss to the New York Rangers.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have followed a similar trajectory as the Sharks this season. Bobbing around the middle of the standings (currently fifth in the Metropolitan Division), the Blue Jackets have been decidedly average this year — better than last year with their new coach, Brad Larsen, but without any real success.