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Goalie nods: Bobrovsky starts for Blue Jackets, as they search for 15th straight win

Los Angeles Kings v Columbus Blue Jackets

COLUMBUS, OH - DECEMBER 20: Sergei Bobrovsky #72 of the Columbus Blue Jackets warms up prior to the start of the game against the Los Angeles Kings on December 20, 2016 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)

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The Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday look for their 15th straight win (!!) and they will turn to their No. 1 goalie to help keep the streak alive.

While the Blue Jackets have been on a remarkable run, so, too, have the Wild, winners of 12 in a row, and tonight’s game is historical given their winning streaks.

The news shouldn’t come as a surprise given the stakes and the opponent, but Sergei Bobrovsky starts in goal for the Blue Jackets, per Tom Reed of the Columbus Dispatch.

Bobrovsky leads all goalies so far with 23 wins, and his solid .934 save percentage is tied for second with Jimmy Howard (among goalies with 10-plus games played). Only Devan Dubnyk of the Wild has been better in this category -- and tonight’s game is shaping up to be a showdown of two goalies in the early conversation for the Vezina Trophy.

Per NHL.com, Dubnyk is expected to start for Minnesota.

Elsewhere...

-- It looks like Marc-Andre Fleury will start in net for the Penguins when they host the Montreal Canadiens. Moved to the back-up spot with the rise of Matt Murray during the 2016 playoffs, Fleury now has a chance to string together some starts with Murray currently week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

-- The Tampa Bay Lightning will look to close the gap in the Eastern Conference Wild Card race, and it appears they’ll turn to Andrei Vasilevskiy tonight against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Bolts are currently four points back of the Flyers for the final Wild Card spot.

-- Playing against their California rivals from L.A., the San Jose Sharks are expected to start Martin Jones, after he was given the night off Friday, per CSN Bay Area. With Jones on the bench Friday, Aaron Dell recorded the shut out, but facing the Kings on New Year’s Eve, it looks like the Sharks will turn to their undisputed No. 1 netminder.