With just a handful of games remaining for the Columbus Blue Jackets David Dahl Colorado Rockies Jersey , coach John Tortorella believes the team is in a good place even as its late push to secure a playoff spot has gotten tougher.

With Nick Foligno out of the lineup, the Blue Jackets open a three-game swing across western Canada on Tuesday night against NHL scoring leader Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers.

Columbus (42-29-5) is in third place in the Metropolitan Division, three points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Blue Jackets are also tied in points with the Philadelphia Flyers for the first wild card, and Columbus has a three-point edge on the New Jersey Devils for the second wild card.

“We have six left and we’ve got some nicks along the way here … you just go play. We don’t talk about it. We just do it. That’s part of our job,” Tortorella said Monday.

The Blue Jackets surged into contention thanks to 10-game winning streak that ended with a 2-1 loss to St. Louis Blues on Saturday. Foligno, who has collected 19 points (eight goals, 11 assists) in the last 30 games, suffered a lower-body injury and will be sidelined from two to four weeks.

But for Tortorella, it’s business as usual.

“I just don’t want us to lose our swagger,” he said. “I think we’re in a good spot. I think the guys are feeling good about themselves. You get banged up; you just go about your business. Nick has been very good for us http://www.seahawksauthorizedshops.com/authentic-byron-maxwell-jersey , so we have to fill that hole.”

Brandon Dubinsky (15 points in 56 games) is expected to fill in for Foligno.

Columbus also still has Artemi Panarin, who leads the club in scoring (25 goals, 44 assists), and needs one point to reach 70 for the third straight season. The Russian winger has six goals and three assists in a four-game points streak on the road.

The Blue Jackets have won four straight away from home and seek their third victory in four games in Edmonton. Columbus is also looking for a split of the season series after a 7-2 loss on Dec. 12 in Ohio’s capital city.

To no one’s surprise, McDavid was the driving force in that rout, collecting a goal and three assists.

The Oilers captain solidified his hold as the league’s top scorer after collecting a goal and two assists in Sunday’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks that eliminated Edmonton (34-36-6) from postseason consideration.

With six games to play, McDavid has 99 points — two from a career high, and three in front of Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

McDavid, who is looking to be the first player to win consecutive Art Ross trophies since Jaromir Jagr won four straight from 1998 to 2001 with the Pittsburgh Penguins, was named the league’s First Star of the Week after collecting five goals and five assists in four games last week.

The biggest difference in No. 97 this season compared with last season?

“I see him around the net a bit more. He wanted to do that this year. His sense of timing Mitch Haniger Seattle Mariners Jersey , arriving on rebounds, having the ability to tap things in,” Oilers coach Todd McLellan said recently.

Most likely, McDavid will try to pad his total against Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. Since losing three straight starts in early February, the two-time Vezina Trophy winner is 12-4-1 with a 2.01 goals-against average and one shutout. Bobrovsky would also be looking for his fourth straight road win during that span.

Backup Joonas Korpisalo has won three straight starts, allowing a total of nine goals. He is 2-5-0 with a 4.15 GAA on the road in 2017-18.

Edmonton’s Cam Talbot needs one win to reach 30 for the second straight season. He has surrendered 14 goals in his last five games, posting a 4-0-1 record.

Al Montoya (2-2-2, 3.24 GAA with the Oilers) missed Sunday’s game with an undisclosed injury. If Montoya can’t go, Laurent Brossoit (3-7-1, 3.22 GAA) would back up Talbot.

WASHINGTON — The next few days will determine whether a players-only meeting and a visit from the Miami Marlins will help lift the Washington Nationals out of their funk.

Washington welcomes Miami to Nationals Park for a four-game series beginning Thursday night.

The Nationals have lost five straight games and 17 of 22. At 42-43 http://www.redskinsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-geron-christian-jersey , the Nationals are under .500 this far into the season for the first time since they were 60-61 on Aug. 21, 2015.

Wednesday’s traditional 11:05 a.m. July 4 contest was a 3-0 loss to the Boston Red Sox. Washington’s eighth shutout since June 1 — the Nationals were blanked just seven times all of last season — resulted in a players-only meeting after the game.

“We’ve never been in this position before, and I think it’s an exciting time for us,” Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper told the Washington Post. “In years past, we’ve won the division by a lot of games and we’re able to be behind right now. I’m excited to get out there and test it.”

According to press reports, staff ace Max Scherzer instigated the meeting and was the most vocal speaker during it.

“I think anytime Max holds the meeting or holds court, there’s going to be some yelling,” outfielder Adam Eaton told MASN.com. “In baseball, you don’t have that type of intensity all the time, so it’s a little different. I think guys gravitate toward that. I think everybody has a kind of intensity bone in their body http://www.billsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-taron-johnson-jersey , and sometimes things need to be said in that fashion.”

Rafael Devers (sacrifice fly) and Eduardo Nunez (wild pitch) helped break a scoreless tie in the seventh inning, and Eduardo Rodriguez pitched six shutout innings Wednesday for the Red Sox.

Washington starter Erick Fedde left in the second inning with a shoulder injury, forcing the Nationals’ already overworked bullpen to cover seven-plus innings. An MRI exam on Fedde was negative.

The Nationals are seven games behind first-place Atlanta and just 7 1/2 ahead of fourth-place Miami. After a stretch of games against the Philadelphia Phillies and Red Sox, the Nationals play 21 of their next 27 games against teams with a losing record.

Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (2-1, 2.63 ERA) opposes Miami right-hander Pablo Lopez (1-0, 3.00) on Thursday night

Hellickson lasted 4 2/3 innings, giving up three earned runs on seven hits, in his return from the disabled list last Saturday night. He had been sidelined since June 4 with a right hamstring strain.

Lopez was a winner in his major league debut, allowing two runs on six hits over six innings against the New York Mets on Saturday. The 22-year-old struck out five and walked one.

“I was really impressed with his composure,” Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto told the Miami Herald. “He came in just attacking guys with his stuff. It didn’t seem like he was scared of anybody. Pounding the zone. Worked a quick pace Justus Annunen Blackhawks Jersey , and pitched with great stuff. It was exciting to watch.”

Miami (36-52) won the rubber game of a three-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday, hours after losing a 16-inning marathon that ended at 12:41 a.m. Jose Urena tossed five scoreless innings and shortstop JT Riddle drove in two of Miami’s runs and scored the other in a 3-0 win.

Drew Rucinski got the win and Brad Ziegler closed it out for his 10th save.

“It was one of those days, walking into it, that your bullpen’s pretty much shot,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly told the Miami Herald. “You’re hoping for a good outing from Jose and it really couldn’t have gone any better as far as who we had available.”

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