COLUMBUS Texans Keke Coutee Jersey , Ohio — With a month remaining in the regular season, John Tortorella does not want to start calling every game a must-win, but the Columbus Blue Jackets coach recognizes how precious every standings point will be down the stretch.

The Blue Jackets (33-28-5) came away with two points from a three-game West Coast road trip that ended with a 4-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Sunday night. That win propelled them back into the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference by one point over the Florida Panthers and two over the Carolina Hurricanes.

“We’re seeing progress being made with the win tonight,” Blue Jackets defenseman Ian Cole said.

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To stay in playoff position in an extremely tight race Chukwuma Okorafor Super Bowl LI Jersey , the Blue Jackets will be looking for another win on Tuesday night when they return home to entertain the Vegas Golden Knights (42-18-5) at Nationwide Arena.

“You gotta be really careful about the must-wins, the do-or-dies, all those lines,” Tororella said. “We still have a number of hockey games to be played. It’s so close. We’ve just got to take them one game at a time.”

Artemi Panarin scored two goals against the Sharks Authentic Robert Griffin III Jersey , including an empty-netter to ice the game in the final minute. The Blue Jackets’ special teams continued to play well, particularly the penalty kill that thwarted three San Jose power-play chances in the first period.

“Our penalty-killers were good and have been good for quite a while here now,” Tortorella said. “So that’s important.”

The matchup against the wildly successful first-year expansion franchise begins a critical four-game homestand for the Blue Jackets that includes back-to-back games against the Colorado Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings later in the week and ends with a visit from the Montreal Canadiens.

The Blue Jackets have tried for months to get on a roll. They’ve not won more than two games in a row since November.

“The biggest difference from my point of view is I’m going to go with the guys that are going to give us a chance to win that game,” Tortorella said. “It’s not about developing. It’s not about trying to help a guy along and see if his game gets going. Whoever’s game is going they’re going to play.”

The Golden Knights will be making their first visit to Columbus. The teams met Jan. 23 in Las Vegas and the upstart Golden Knights rolled to a 6-3 victory.

Vegas leads the Pacific Division by 10 points over second-place San Jose and trails the Nashville Predators by four points for the top spot in the Western Conference. The game in Columbus is the second on a five-game road swing.

The Golden Knights opened the trip with a 3-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Sunday that halted a three-game winless streak. Tomas Tatar Adidas Drew Doughty Jersey , acquired at the trade deadline from the Detroit Red Wings, scored his first goal for Vegas.

“It was nice to get the monkey off my back,” Tatar said. “I was more praying for the win. It’s nice to have a win at the start of a road trip.”

The surprising Golden Knights are powered by three major contributors with ties to the Blue Jackets.

Forward William Karlsson left Columbus in the expansion draft last summer after two-plus seasons with the Blue Jackets. The 25-year-old has enjoyed a phenomenal first year with the Golden Knights. His 35 goals rank third in the NHL.

“I enjoyed my time here and I’m looking forward to the game,” Karlsson said. “It should be fun.”

Former Blue Jackets forward Jonathan Marchessault had a five-game points streak (one goal Jeff Locke Super Bowl LI Jersey , six assists) ended Sunday but has contributed points in 10 of the last 15 games.

Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant spent two-plus seasons as the Blue Jackets head coach, compiling a 46-76-4 record before he was let go 15 games into the 2006-07 season.

“It was a good start to our road trip,” Gallant said after the win over the Devils. “The last couple of games we lost as a team and tonight we won as a team.”

Vegas left winger Pierre-Edouard Bellemare could return to the ice for the first time since he was sidelined with a hand injury on Feb. 17. He practiced with the team on Monday in Columbus.

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