COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS VS. SEATTLE KRAKEN

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)

10 pm ET                 Game vs. Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena

THE MATCHUP

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS

2021-22 Record: 13-11-1, 27 pts. (5^th, Metropolitan Division)

Goals:  3.16 Goals-For/3.24 Goals-Against… Shots:  29.8 Shots-For/34.3 Shots-Against

Power Play:  20.3 percent (11^th, NHL)… Penalty Kill:  82.1 percent (13^th, NHL)

Penalty Minutes:  7.0 PIM (5^th, NHL)… Overtime Record (Shootout):  5-0-1 (2-1)

SEATTLE KRAKEN

2021-22 Record: 9-15-2, 20 pts. (8^th, Pacific Division)

Goals:  2.81 Goals-For/3.54 Goals-Against… Shots:  28.4 Shots-For/28.2 Shots-Against

Power Play:  16.2 percent (24^th, NHL)… Penalty Kill:  81.0 percent (18^th, NHL)

Penalty Minutes:  9.6 PIM (22^nd, NHL)… Overtime Record (Shootout):  0-1-1 (0-1)

Players to Watch:  C Jaden Schwartz leads the team in assists and points with 5-13-18 in 24 appearances this season… D Mark Giordano, the first captain in Kraken history, has posted 146-370-516 in 969 career games with the Flames and Kraken… G Philipp Grubauer was named a finalist for the 2020-21 Vezina Trophy after going 30-9-1 with a 1.95 GAA and .922 SV% with Colorado.

ALL-TIME SERIES

Results:  This is the secon meeting between the Blue Jackets and expansion Kraken (1-0-0) and first time in Seattle… Of Note: The Blue Jackets won the first-ever meeting between the clubs, 2-1 in OT, at Nationwide Arena on Oct. 16… Trailing 1-0, CBJ got a 3rd period goal from Eric Robinson and the OT winner from Patrik Laine… The last expansion team, the Vegas Golden Knights, won the Pacific Division with a 51-24-7 (109 pts) in 2017-18 and made it all the way to the 2018 Stanley Cup Final before falling to Washington (4-1) in the club’s first season in the league.

This Season (CBJ, 1-0-0)

Oct. 16, 2021 – at Columbus 2, Seattle 1 (OT)

Dec. 11, 2021 – at Seattle (10 p.m.)

CBJ TEAM NOTES

The Blue Jackets earned a point for the second time in three games (1-1-1) after falling 2-1 in a shootout to Anaheim on Thursday… It marked the first time the club fell in a game played after regulation this season (5-0-1)…  CBJ look to snap a five-game road losing streak on Saturday… CBJ have scored three or more goals in 16 of their 25 games this season (12-4-0) and are 10-1-0 when scoring at least four goals in a contest… Thursday’s game vs. Anaheim kicked off a stretch of six-straight games vs. Western Conference teams from Dec. 9-20.  The team is in the middle of a stretch of 13-of-16 games played against the conference from Nov. 18-Dec. 18. (9-4-1 vs. West this season).. The Jackets are in the back end of a stretch of 13-of-17 games from Nov. 18-Dec. 20 played on the road with the current five-game road trip the longest trip of the campaign… CBJ have trailed in nine of their 13 victories this season… The Jackets have killed off all opponent power play attempts in 14 of the last 18 games (37-of-43; 86.1 pct.) and rank fifth in the NHL in PK pct. since Oct. 31… CBJ rank third in goals (18) and sixth-T in the NHL in points (63) by defensemen this season… Columbus ranks second-T in the NHL in goals scored in the third period (34) and fourth-T in goal differential in the period (+9, 34-25).

CBJ PLAYER NOTES

The Blue Jackets have seen 20 different players record a goal this season, while 22-of-24 skaters have recorded at least one point… D Adam Boqvist ranks fifth-T among NHL blueliners in goals this season (6) and leads defensemen in goals and ranks sixth-T in points since Nov. 24 with 5-3-8 in nine games… RW Oliver Bjorkstrand tallied his second two-goal game of the season on Tuesday and leads the club in scoring and multi-point outings with 8-13-21 and six multi-point efforts in 25 contests… D Vladislav Gavrikov has 2-8-10 in the past 16 outings… C Boone Jenner has posted 7-5-12 in the past 19 games.  CBJ’s captain ranks seventh-T in the NHL in power play goals with 11-5-16 and five PPG in 25 games this season… C Sean Kuraly has tied his career-long points streak with points in three consecutive games (2-1-3)… G Elvis Merzlikins recorded his 10^th win in his 14^th game of the season on Dec. 5 vs. San Jose to become the quickest player in franchise history to reach 10 wins in a campaign (Bobrovsky, 15 GP in 2016-17 and 2017-18)…. D Andrew Peeke, who posted his first career multi-point game with two assists on Dec. 5 vs. San Jose, has played 20-plus minutes in eight of the last nine contests… LW Eric Robinson set a career-best assist streak (three) and points streak (four, tied) with an assist on Thursday… F Alexandre Texier, who ranks second on the Blue Jackets in goals (career-high 9), has recorded 7-5-12 in the past 16 games, including points in three-straight games (2-2-4)… RW Jakub Voracek is tied for the NHL lead in primary assists (16) and ranks sixth-T in power play assists (9)… D Zach Werenski has posted 3-7-10 in the last 14 games and ranks second in the NHL in TOI/GP (26:24).

MILESTONES

•     RW Oliver Bjorkstrand is two points from 200 in his NHL career (91-107-198, 327 GP).

•     D Adam Boqvist is six games from 100 for his NHL career (12-26-38, 94 GP).

•     C Max Domi is six goals from 100 and eight assists from 200 for his NHL career (94-192-286, 444 GP).

•     C Sean Kuraly is five games from 300 for his NHL career (29-46-75, 295 GP).

•     LW Gustav Nyquist is five games from 600 for his NHL career and five games from 100 in his CBJ career (150-208-358, 595 GP; 19-33-52, 95 GP).

•     RW Jakub Voracek is seven games from 1,000 for his NHL career (217-541-758, 993 GP).

OhioHEALTH INJURY REPORT

•     D Dean Kukan (wrist fracture; Injured Reserve on Oct. 26) is expected to miss 8 weeks

•     LW Patrik Laine (oblique strain; Injured Reserve on Nov. 5) is expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 75

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