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Columbus Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason had a clear message before facing his former team, the Minnesota Wild. Speaking at a media conference ahead of Saturday's game at Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Evason said:
"Woahhhh, there’s no friends here," and ended with, "Thanks. Minnesota people, ... piss off!"
Evason was fired by the Wild on November 27, 2023, after a 5-10-4 start and a seven-game losing streak. Despite leading the Wild to the playoffs in four seasons, they never advanced past the first round. John Hynes replaced him, bringing experience working with younger players.
Hired by the Blue Jackets in July, Evason is focused on building the team. He previously said:
"The foundation is set here, it just needs to be built upon. That's what our job is. That's what Don and I believe that we are going to accomplish to meet that ultimate goal."
Dean Evason's Columbus Blue Jackets will go toe to toe against the Wild
The Minnesota Wild (2-0-2) play the Columbus Blue Jackets (2-2-0) on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. EDT. The game will be shown on BSOH, BSN and BSWI. Both teams are early in their season and will look for another win.
Dean Evason's Columbus Blue Jackets face a tough test against his former team, the Minnesota Wild. Key players for Minnesota include Kirill Kaprizov, who has six points, and Matt Boldy with two goals. Columbus' Yegor Chinakhov has six points, and Zach Werenski has four assists.
Minnesota has an edge in goal. Filip Gustavsson has a strong 2-0-1 record, a 1.66 goals-against average and a .948 save percentage. Columbus’ Daniil Tarasov has a 2-0-0 record but a high 4.01 GAA.
Offensively, Columbus is scoring more, with 4.25 goals per game, ranking 4th in the league. Minnesota scores 3.00 goals per game. Defensively, Minnesota is stronger, allowing just 2.25 goals per game, while Columbus is struggling, giving up 3.75 goals per game.
Minnesota’s power play is slightly better, converting 30.8% of chances. Columbus has a stronger penalty kill at 75%. So, Minnesota’s defense could challenge Columbus’ offense, making goaltending and special teams important in this matchup.
Also read: 3 major takeaways from Blue Jackets' 3-0 preseason win vs St. Louis Blues
