Blue Jackets first road game takes them to Detroit tonight at 7:30 pm

Little Caesars Arena Interior ice hockey configuration. 2017 photo By Coreyfein01 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https commons.wikimedia.org

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS AT DETROIT RED WINGS

TV:  Bally 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)

THE MATCHUP

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS

2021-22 Record: 2-0-0, 4 pts. (2nd-T, Metropolitan Division)

Goals:  5.00 Goals-For/1.50 Goals-Against… Shots:  25.5 Shots-For/29.0 Shots-Against

Power Play:  66.7 percent (1st, NHL)… Penalty Kill:  80.0 percent (12th-T, NHL)

Penalty Minutes:  12.0 PIM (22nd, NHL)… Overtime Record (Shootout):  1-0-0 (0-0)

DETROIT RED WINGS

2021-22 Record: 1-0-1, 3 pts. (6th-T, Atlantic Division)

Goals:  4.50 Goals-For/4.00 Goals-Against… Shots:  23.5 Shots-For/44.5 Shots-Against

Power Play:  28.6 percent (14th, NHL)… Penalty Kill:  70.0 percent (20th, NHL)

Penalty Minutes:  26.0 PIM (32nd, NHL)… Overtime Record (Shootout):  0-1-0 (0-0)

Players to Watch:  LW Tyler Bertuzzi, who recorded 20-goals in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons, had four goals vs. Tampa Bay in the season-opener on Oct. 14… D Nick Leddy has picked up points in each of his first two contests with the Red Wings after leading the NYI in assists with 2-29-31 in 56 games in 2020-21… G Thomas Greiss turned aside 40-of-41 shots in the victory over Vancouver on Saturday and has posted an 11-9-4 record with a 2.59 GAA and .914 SV% in 26 career games vs. CBJ.

ALL-TIME SERIES

Results:  Columbus has gone 43-46-14 in 103 all-time meetings, including 25-20-8 at home and 18-26-6 on the road… Of Note: The Blue Jackets went 4-3-1 in eight games against the Red Wings in 2020-21… Columbus is 15-4-1 over the past five seasons against Detroit (since 2016-17)… The Blue Jackets are 11-3-1 in the last 15 visits to Detroit since Dec. 16, 2014… Each team has recorded three hat tricks in the all-time series, with Rick Nash notching the most recent one on Mar. 7, 2009 (8-2 W at DET)… Columbus has posted eight of the 21 shutouts in the series, as the teams each picked up their most recent shutout in a 1-0 SO CBJ win on Apr. 27, 2021 (CBJ-Merzlikins, 41; DET-Greiss, 33).

THIS SEASON (CBJ, 0-0-0)

Oct. 19, 2021 – at Detroit (7:30 p.m.)

Nov. 15, 2021 – at Columbus (7 p.m.)

Apr. 9, 2021 – at Detroit (7 p.m.)

CBJ TEAM NOTES

The Blue Jackets kicked off their 21st NHL season with an 8-2 win over Arizona on Thursday and a 2-1 overtime victory over Seattle on Saturday… It marks the third time in franchise history that the Blue Jackets have started the season 2-0-0 (2014-15, 2009-10)… The team has never opened a season 3-0-0 with the best mark being 2-0-1 (5 pts.) to start the 2006-07 campaign… The Blue Jackets had the youngest season-opening roster in average age at 25.71.  New Jersey (25.74) was the only other team to have an average age of its roster younger than 26-years-old… Columbus also had the most diverse roster to open the season with 10 countries represented (Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Latvia, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland and the USA)… Brad Larsen, who was named the club’s eighth head coach in franchise history on June 10, 2021, became the third person to earn a victory in his first two games behind the bench (including interim coaches), joining Doug MacLean (won first three games from Jan. 8-11, 2003) and Claude Noel (won first three games from Feb. 4-10, 2010).

CBJ PLAYER NOTES

The Blue Jackets have had nine different players record goals this season, while 16-of-19 skaters have recorded at least one point… RW Oliver Bjorkstrand, who led the team in goals, assists and points last season with 18-26-44 in 56 games, tied the franchise record for points in a season opening game (Rick Nash, Oct. 5, 2007 vs. Anaheim) with 2-2-4 on Thursday vs. Arizona… LW Patrik Laine notched his 19th career game-winner and first with the Blue Jackets with the overtime winner on Saturday and has collected points in both outings in 2021-22 (1-2-3)… C Max Domi, who picked up an assist on the overtime winner on Saturday, has assists in both contests (1-3-4)… D Zach Werenski also has assists in both games this season (1-2-3)… G Elvis Merzlikins went 2-0-0 with a 1.47 GAA and .948 SV% in two games to open the season, including stopping 19-of-20 shots in the overtime win against Seattle on Saturday.

MILESTONES

•     RW Oliver Bjorkstrand is four assists from 100 for his NHL career (85-96-181, 304 GP).

•     C Max Domi is nine goals from 100 for his NHL career (91-189-279, 431 GP).

•     RW Jakub Voracek is three assists from 10 for his CBJ career (39-97-136, 243 GP).

•     D Zach Werenski is eight points from 200 for his NHL career (66-126-192, 337 GP).

OhioHEALTH INJURY REPORT

•     RW Emil Bemstrom (left oblique strain; Injured Reserve on Oct. 14) is expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks

                              o TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST:  2.

COURTESY CBJ COMMUNICATIONS

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