COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS VS. LOS ANGELES KINGS
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: 28-25-1, 57 pts. (5th, Metropolitan Division)
Goals: 3.26 Goals-For/3.61 Goals-Against… Shots: 29.8 Shots-For/35.7 Shots-Against
Power Play: 17.2 percent (24th, NHL)… Penalty Kill: 80.9 percent (13th, NHL)
Penalty Minutes: 7.6 PIM (5th, NHL)… Overtime Record (Shootout): 9-0-1 (3-1)
LOS ANGELES KINGS
2021-22 Record: 29-19-7, 65 pts. (2nd, Pacific Division)
Goals: 2.91 Goals-For/2.82 Goals-Against… Shots: 35.4 Shots-For/28.7 Shots-Against
Power Play: 16.8 percent (26th, NHL)… Penalty Kill: 75.3 percent (28th, NHL)
Penalty Minutes: 7.8 PIM (6th, NHL)… Overtime Record (Shootout): 5-5-2 (2-2)
Players to Watch: C Anze Kopitar leads club in assists and points with 15-35-50 in 55 games this season and has totaled 17-18-35 in 39 career games vs. CBJ… D Drew Doughty leads team defensemen with 7-23-30 in 36 contests and has 6-21-27 in 33 career appearances vs. the Blue Jackets… G Jonathan Quick owns a 14-11-6 record with a 2.67 GAA, .909 SV% and two shutouts in 31 contests in 2021-22 and is 16-8-0 with a 2.25 GAA and .911 SV% in 24 career games vs. CBJ.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Results: Columbus has gone 26-29-6 in 61 all-time meetings, including 16-11-3 at home… Of Note: The clubs did not meet in 2020-21… The Blue Jackets swept the season series in 2019-20, 3-2 in OT at CBJ on Dec. 19, 2019 and 4-2 at LA on Jan. 6, 2020… CBJ have won three-straight in the series since Dec. 13, 2018… The club has won two consecutive at home and has earned points in four of the last five at Nationwide Arena (3-1-1)… The winning team has scored three-plus goals in 12-straight meetings (including SO goals)… The Blue Jackets are 3-of-10 on the power play (30.0 pct.) and have killed off all seven Kings power play chances over the last three home games… Columbus has recorded four of the nine shutouts in the all-time series, including the most recent by Curtis Sanford on Jan. 7, 2012 (31 saves in 1-0 W at LA)… Each team has recorded two penalty shots while the Kings have posted three of the five hat tricks.
This Season (CBJ, 0-0-0)
Mar. 4, 2022 – at Columbus (7 p.m. ET)
Apr. 16, 2022 – at Los Angeles (10:30 p.m. ET)
CBJ TEAM NOTES
The Blue Jackets snapped a two-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory over the Devils on Tuesday… The club improved to 10-4-0 (20 pts) in its last 14 games and rank second-T in the NHL in wins and fifth in points since January 27… The Blue Jackets play the third and fourth contest of a five-game homestand on Friday (vs. Los Angeles) and Saturday (vs. Boston). It’s part of a stretch of 9-of-11 contests played at Nationwide Arena from Feb. 27-Mar. 19… The club ranks third in the NHL in goals-per-game since Jan. 27 (4.14 avg), trailing only Toronto (4.33) and Florida (4.30)… CBJ have scored three or more goals in 32 of their 54 games this season (25-7-0)… The club in 23-3-0 when scoring four-plus goals in a game in 2021-22, recording four-plus goals in five of the last seven games… Columbus killed off two of New Jersey’s four power play attempts on Tuesday and has killed off 59-of-69 opponent chances over the last 22 games (85.5 pct.). The club ranks ninth in the NHL in penalty kill pct. since January 8… CBJ lead the NHL in win percentage in OT/SO and are two off the League lead in wins (Detroit) with a 9-0-1 record (.900)… The Blue Jackets have trailed in 18 of their 28 victories this season with the club trailing by multiple goals in five of its contests. The 18 comeback victories are tied for the NHL lead in that category (Colorado and NY Rangers)… The Jackets rank second-T in the NHL in goals (31) and 10th-T in points by defensemen (123)… CBJ boast six 30-point scorers on the team… Columbus plays the eighth of 15 back-to-back sets on Friday/Saturday. The club is 4-3-0 in the first game of the set (6-8-0 overall), with wins in two-straight and three of the last four opening contests.
CBJ PLAYER NOTES
RW Oliver Bjorkstrand has recorded goals in back-to-back games, including his 100th career goal vs. Pittsburgh on Sunday and has points in eight of the last 11 games (6-3-9)… C Boone Jenner recorded his 10th multi-point effort of the campaign with 1-1-2 on Tuesday. He has 4-6-10 in the last eight games and 11-12-23 with six multi-point efforts in the last 21 contests. CBJ’s captain leads the club in goals, points and power play goals with 23-20-43 and eight PPG in 54 appearances and is on pace to set single-season career highs in both goals and points (30-19-49 in 82 GP in 2015-16)… LW Patrik Laine tallied his team-leading 12th multi-point effort of the campaign with 1-1-2, including the GWG, on Tuesday. The forward was named the NHL’s Third Star of the Month for February after posting 9-6-15 in 10 games. He leads the NHL in goals and GWG and ranks third in points since January 27 with 14-9-23 and four GWG in 14 contests. He also leads the League in overtime winners (3, tied) and ranks second-T in game-winners (7)… D Andrew Peeke has played 21-plus minutes in each of the last 20 games since Jan. 13 (avg. 24:52, 18th in NHL), including a career-high 29:09 vs. New Jersey on Tuesday… RW Jakub Voracek collected his eighth multi-assist and ninth multi-point effort vs. New Jersey with two assists. He has 0-8-8 in the last seven appearances, ranks third in the NHL in primary assists (29) and leads the club in assists overall (38)… D Zach Werenski, who has missed the last four games with an upper body injury, has tallied 2-10-12 in his last 12 games, including points in six consecutive (2-6-8).
MILESTONES
• C Max Domi is one goal from 100 for his NHL career (99-201-300, 473 GP).
• G Elvis Merzlikins is five contests from 100 for his NHL career (40-35-14, 95 GP).
• D Zach Werenski (73-149-222, 383 GP) is two points from surpassing Seth Jones (50-173-223, 381 GP) for the most in CBJ history among blueliners.
OhioHEALTH INJURY REPORT
• G Daniil Tarasov (lower body; Injured Reserve on Jan. 4) is out indefinitely
• C Alexandre Texier (fractured finger; Injured Reserve on Jan. 26) is expected to miss 4 weeks
• D Jake Bean (groin; Injured Reserve on Jan. 30) is expected to miss 4 weeks
• LW Eric Robinson (knee; Injured Reserve on Jan. 31) is expected to miss 6 weeks
• G Joonas Korpisalo (lower body; Injured Reserve retroactive to Feb. 15) is day-to-day
• D Zach Werenski (upper body; missed first game on Feb. 24) is day-to-day
• D Adam Boqvist (upper body; missed first game on Mar. 1) is day-to-day
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 217
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