COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS VS. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
TV: Bally Sports Ohio Jeff Rimer (play-by-play), Jody Shelley (color analyst)
Radio: 97.1 The Fan Bob McElligott (play-by-play), Dylan Tyrer (host)
THE MATCHUP
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
2021-22 Record: 16-16-1, 33 pts. (5th, Metropolitan Division)
Goals: 3.12 Goals-For/3.55 Goals-Against… Shots: 29.4 Shots-For/34.8 Shots-Against
Power Play: 16.3 percent (26th, NHL)… Penalty Kill: 76.9 percent (25th, NHL)
Penalty Minutes: 7.0 PIM (3rd, NHL)… Overtime Record (Shootout): 7-0-1 (3-1)
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
2021-22 Record: 12-18-5, 29 pts. (7th, Central Division)
Goals: 2.29 Goals-For/3.40 Goals-Against… Shots: 28.1 Shots-For/31.7 Shots-Against
Power Play: 18.8 percent (18th, NHL)… Penalty Kill: 74.8 percent (26th, NHL)
Penalty Minutes: 7.9 PIM (10th, NHL)… Overtime Record (Shootout): 6-5-0 (3-0)
Players to Watch: RW Patrick Kane leads the team with 7-24-31 in 31 GP this season and has notched 23-48-71 in 54 career contests vs. CBJ… D Seth Jones, who ranks 7th-T among NHL blueliners in assists with 3-22-25 in 35 GP in 1st season with club in 2021-22, owns CBJ record for most assists and points by a blueliner with 50-173-223 in 381 outings over six seasons from 2015-21… G Marc-Andre Fleury ranks third all-time in wins with 502-287-84 in 906 contests and captured the 2020-21 Vezina Trophy while with the Golden Knights.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Results: Columbus has gone 36-44-15 in 95 all-time meetings, including 19-20-9 at home… Of Note: CBJ went 2-3-3 vs. Chicago in 2020-21, including 0-2-2 at home… The Blackhawks have won six-straight games at Nationwide Arena dating back to Oct. 20, 2018 (CBJ; 0-3-3) following a four-game home win streak for the Jackets from Dec. 20, 2014-Feb. 24, 2018… The road team has collected points in 11 of the last 12 meetings of the series since Mar. 31, 2017 (9-1-2)… Five of the last 10 games have been decided after regulation (three in OT, two in SO)… The winning team has recorded three-plus goals in six of the past seven games… Chicago owns eight of the 10 shutouts, while Columbus has recorded six of the eight penalty shots.
This Season (CBJ, 0-0-0)
Dec. 28, 2021 – at Chicago (Postponed to Later Date, TBD)
Jan. 11, 2022 – at COLUMBUS (7 p.m. ET)
CBJ TEAM NOTES
The Blue Jackets snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory over the Devils on Saturday… CBJ have scored three or more goals in 21 of their 33 games this season (15-6-0)… The club is also 13-2-0 when scoring four-plus goals in a game in 2021-22… Columbus leads the NHL in win percentage in OT/SO and ranks second-T in wins with a 7-0-1 record (.875)… The club’s three shootout victories are also tied for the second-most in the League… The Blue Jackets close out a stretch of five-of-six games played at home from Dec. 30-Jan. 11 on Tuesday vs. Chicago… Columbus is 11-5-1 (23 pts.) at home this season and ranks seventh in the NHL in GF/GP at home (3.50)… CBJ have trailed in 10 of their 16 victories this season and the club’s five wins when trailing heading into the third period are the most in the NHL… The Blue Jackets rank fourth in goals (22) and ninth in the NHL in points (81) by defensemen this season.
CBJ PLAYER NOTES
D Adam Boqvist, whocollected his third multi-point effort of the season with two assists on Saturday, has 1-4-5 in the last five games. He is tied for second for most goals by a NHL blueliner since Nov. 24 (Makar, 8) with 6-7-13 in his last 14 games… RW Oliver Bjorkstrand tallied his team-leading third multi-goal outing and eighth multi-point game of the campaign with two goals on Saturday and has 11-14-25 in 31 contests in 2021-22… C Max Domi tallied his eighth goal of the campaign on Thursday and has 8-8-16 in 23 appearances… D Vladislav Gavrikov has posted assists in three of the last five contests and has set a new single-season career high with 14 helpers (13, 2019-20)… C Boone Jenner has recorded 9-7-16 in the past 27 games and leads the team in goals (13) and power play goals (5)… C Sean Kuraly picked up an assist on Saturday and has 2-4-6 in the last 11 games… LW Patrik Laine has points in nine of his 14 appearances this season (4-8-12)… LW Gus Nyquist has recorded 3-3-6 with two multi-point outings in the last six games… LW Eric Robinson collected an assist on Saturday and has 3-5-8 in his last 11 games… F Alexandre Texier, who missed the last three contests, has 4-5-9 with three multi-point efforts in eight games since Dec. 5… He leads the Blue Jackets in goals and points since Nov. 6 with 9-8-17 and is +6 in 21 games… D Zach Werenski, who returned to action on Saturday after missing two games (COVID protocol), ranks second in the NHL in TOI/GP (26:36).
MILESTONES
• RW Oliver Bjorkstrand is six goals from 100 for his NHL career (94-108-202, 333 GP).
• D Adam Boqvist is one game from 100 for his NHL career (13-30-43, 99 GP).
• C Max Domi is two goals from 100 and seven assists from 200 for his NHL career (98-193-291, 452 GP).
OhioHEALTH INJURY REPORT
• D Gavin Bayreuther (COVID-19 protocol on Dec. 29)
• F Justin Danforth (knee; Injured Reserve on Dec. 31) is expected to miss 6 weeks
• G Elvis Merzlikins (lower body) is day-to-day
• G Daniil Tarasov (lower body; Injured Reserve on Jan. 4) is out indefinitely
• F Alexandre Texier (COVID-19 protocol on Jan. 7)
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 109
COURTESY CBJ COMMUNICATIONS
