The set-up: The 45-16-6 Columbus Blue Jackets own 98 points and are in a tight, three-way battle for first place in the Metropolitan Division with Washington (100) and Pittsburgh (97). After winning 16 straight games from November to January, the Blue Jackets had a lull, going 13-12-2 over their next 27 games. However, Columbus is back on a roll and has now has given themselves a chance at securing home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs. As for the 26-32-12 New Jersey Devils, they did snap a 10-game winless streak Thursday (6-2 over the Flyers) but fell 6-4 Friday at Pittsburgh, leaving them 1-9-2 in their past 12 contests.

Columbus: The Blue Jackets have earned points in 10 of their last 12 games (9-2-1) and have beaten the Devils twice already in March, 3-0 on March 5 and 2-0 two days later! Sergei Bobrovsky, who turned aside 53 shots in the back-to-back shutouts for Columbus over the Devils, is likely to be in net after resting during Saturday's 3-2 overtime win at Brooklyn against the Islanders.

New Jersey: When the 2016-17 regular season officially ends on April 9th, it will mark the fifth straight season the Devils have missed the postseason since reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2012. With their postseason hopes gone (New Jersey owns the fewest points of any team in the Eastern Conference), the Devils have been giving a lengthy look at backup goaltender Keith Kinkaid. He started the Devils' past two games while Cory Schneider watched. Kinkaid was hardly tested in the 6-2 over Philly (faced just 19 shots for a save percentage of .895) and then allowed five goals on 42 shots (.881) in the loss to the Pens;

The pick: Bobrovsky leads the league with 38 victories and is near the top in goals-against average (2.06) and save percentage (.930) after allowing 10 goals in his last eight games, three of them shutouts. So, what's not to like about Columbus and conversely, what's to like about New Jersey? Make Columbus an 8* play.