Blue Jackets look to continue improve play as they host Carolina tonight at 7

MAR. 22, 2021 II vs. CAROLINA HURRICANES II NATIONWIDE ARENA II 7 PM ET

CBJ BROADCAST INFORMATION

TV:  FOX Sports Ohio   Jeff Rimer (play-by-play), Jody Shelley (color analyst), Dave Maetzold (reporter)     

Radio:  97.1 The Fan    Bob McElligott (play-by-play), Dylan Tyrer (host)

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS (13-12-7, 33 pts./4th, Discover Central Division) 

Goals:  2.63 Goals-For/3.13 Goals-Against… Shots:  29.0 Shots-For/31.3 Shots-Against

Power Play:  15.4 percent (25th, NHL)… Penalty Kill:  73.3 percent (27th, NHL)

Penalty Minutes:  6.8 PIM (3rd, NHL)… Overtime Record (Shootout):  4-4-3 (2-3)

CAROLINA HURRICANES (20-7-3, 43 pts./3rd, Discover Central Division)

Goals:  3.23 Goals-For/2.57 Goals-Against… Shots:  31.6 Shots-For/29.1 Shots-Against

Power Play:  31.3 percent (1st, NHL)… Penalty Kill:  82.4 percent (9th, NHL)

Penalty Minutes:  7.4 PIM (9th-T, NHL)… Overtime Record (Shootout):  7-2-1 (4-1)

Players to Watch:  Sebastian Aho (Leads team with 28 pts in 30 GP in 2020-21 and has 9-5-14 in 20 career GP vs. CBJ); D Dougie Hamilton (Has 2-11-13 over 11-game point streak and leads club with 21 assists this season)

ALL-TIME SERIES

Results:  Columbus has gone 24-19-3 in 46 regular season games vs. Carolina, including 12-9-1 at home… Of Note: The Blue Jackets have won seven of the last nine games in the series since Mar. 15, 2019… The club is 12-6-1 in the last 19 meetings against the Hurricanes dating back to Jan. 17, 2017… Columbus and Carolina have played in one-goal games in seven of the last eight meetings… The Blue Jackets own all three shutouts and hat tricks in the all-time series and were awarded the first penalty shot in the series on February 8 (Cam Atkinson goal)… Goals:  CBJ – 124, CAR – 119… CBJ PP:  22-of-147 (15.0%)… CBJ PK:  138-of-160 (86.3%).

This Season (CBJ, 3-2-0)

Feb. 7 – Carolina 6, at COLUMBUS 5

Feb. 8 – at COLUMBUS 3, Carolina 2

Feb. 15 – at Carolina 7, COLUMBUS 3

Mar. 18 – COLUMBUS 3, at Carolina 2 (OT)

Mar. 20 – COLUMBUS 3, at Carolina 2 (SO)

Mar. 22 – at COLUMBUS… Mar. 25 – at COLUMBUS

May 1 – at Carolina

2019-20 Results (CBJ, 3-0-0)

Oct. 12, 2019 – Columbus 3, at Carolina 2

Oct. 24, 2019 – at Columbus 4, Carolina 3 (OT)

Jan. 16, 2020 – at Columbus 3, Carolina 2

Apr. 3, 2020 – at Carolina (Cancelled)

CBJ TEAM NOTES

The Blue Jackets have picked up points in their last five games (3-0-2) following a 3-2 shootout win at Carolina on Thursday.  It’s the second longest point streak of the season for the club, trailing a seven-game point streak from Jan. 18-29 (4-0-3)… Each of the past five games have been decided after regulation.  It’s tied for the second longest streak of overtime/shootout games in franchise history (3-0-2; Feb. 26-Mar. 7, 2013) and trailing only six-straight games decided in OT/SO from Dec. 9-20, 2014 (5-0-1)… Monday’s game is the third of four-straight games against Carolina (two road/two home)… The Jackets are in a stretch of 10 of 12 games against the top three teams in the Central Division (Tampa Bay, Florida, Carolina) from Mar. 18-Apr. 8… The Blue Jackets are 2-1-0 in Monday games this season… Columbus is 5-2-2 in March games this season.  The Jackets are 12-3-3 in their last 18 games played in the month of March dating back to Mar. 24, 2019.

CBJ PLAYER NOTES

RW Cam Atkinson has 10-7-17 with four multi-point outings in the last 21 games… RW Oliver Bjorkstrand recorded points in both games in Carolina (1-3-4) after scoring a goal in Saturday’s win and has 5-6-11 in the last nine games.  He leads the club in goals (tied), assists and points with 11-16-27… F Max Domi has recorded 2-3-5 in his past five games… D Seth Jones tied the game with 28 seconds to play on Saturday and posted goals in both games in Carolina (3-0-3).  He has recorded .73 points a game since February 1 (4-12-16 in 22 GP)… G Joonas Korpisalo has posted a 2.14 GAA and .923 SV% in his past nine games since February 25… C Jack Roslovic has posted 0-6-6 in the last five games.  He ranks second on the team in assists with 5-15-20 in 25 games in 2020-21… D Zach Werenski had a five-game point streak from Mar. 9-18 (2-4-6).

MILESTONES

•     D Scott Harrington is three games from 200 in his NHL career (7-30-37, 197 GP).

•     D Dean Kukan is three games from 100 for his NHL career (2-16-18, 97 GP).

•     LW Eric Robinson is four games from 100 in his NHL career (11-10-21, 96 GP).

•     HC John Tortorella (668) is 5 victories from surpassing Mike Keenan (672) and move into 12th place on NHL all-time wins list.

OhioHEALTH INJURY REPORT

•       LW Gus Nyquist (shoulder surgery on Nov. 3; Injured Reserve) is expected to miss five-to-six months.

•       RW Emil Bemstrom (lower body injury on Mar. 17) is expected to miss a week.

                              o TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST:  75.

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