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Blue Jackets try to force Coyotes into another bad start on road

Oct 9, 2006 - 2:00 PM Phoenix (1-1-0) at Columbus (1-0-1) 7:00 pm EDT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (Ticker) -- The Columbus Blue Jackets have plans of steering the Phoenix Coyotes into the same situation they encountered on the road at the start of last season.

The Blue Jackets seek a second straight win when they host the Coyotes, who begin a four-game road trip, on Monday.

At the start of the 2005-06 campaign, Phoenix dropped its first three road contests, leading to a 2-6-0 mark away from home in October.

Columbus will try to extend those early-season road struggles for Phoenix by posting its second consecutive win after dropping its opener. Rick Nash scored two goals as the Blue Jackets erased a 2-0 deficit with five straight tallies for a 5-4 victory over Chicago on Saturday.

The Blue Jackets' offense could be even more potent Monday as right wing Nikolai Zherdev is expected to make his season debut. The 21-year-old Zherdev, who was drafted fourth overall in 2003, signed a three-year contract with Columbus in late September after recording 65 points in 68 games last season and just recently returned from Russia.

Also expected to be in the lineup for Columbus is defenseman Rostislav Klesla, who served a two-game suspension for a low hit on Chicago's Tuomo Ruutu during a preseason game.

The Coyotes try to avoid a second straight loss after absorbing a 2-1 setback to the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday. Zbynek Michalek scored the only goal for Phoenix, which went 1-of-6 on the power play. Curtis Joseph stopped 23 shots in defeat.

The two teams split four meetings last season.