Blue Jackets host Vegas Golden Knights tonight at 7 PM

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS VS. VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS

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: 29-27-3, 61 pts. (5th, Metropolitan Division)

Goals:  3.20 Goals-For/3.66 Goals-Against… Shots:  29.6 Shots-For/35.7 Shots-Against

Power Play:  18.0 percent (25th, NHL)… Penalty Kill:  79.3 percent (17th, NHL)

Penalty Minutes:  7.6 PIM (5th, NHL)… Overtime Record (Shootout):  10-1-2 (4-2)

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS

2021-22 Record: 32-24-4, 68 pts. (3rd, Central Division)

Goals:  3.07 Goals-For/2.93 Goals-Against… Shots:  34.1 Shots-For/29.7 Shots-Against

Power Play:  17.4 percent (27th, NHL)… Penalty Kill:  79.3 percent (17th-T, NHL)

Penalty Minutes:  8.2 (8th, NHL)… Overtime Record (Shootout):  6-3-1 (4-1)

Players to Watch:  Former Blue Jacket C Jonathan Marchessault leads the club in goals and points with 24-21-45 in 54 appearances this season… D Shea Theodore leads club blueliners in goals (tied), assists and points with 8-28-36 in 56 games in 2021-22… G Laurent Brossoit has started the past two contests for the Golden Knights and is 10-8-3 with a 2.78 GAA and .899 SV% in 23 games this season.

ALL-TIME SERIES

Results:  Columbus has gone 4-3-0 in seven all-time meetings, including 2-1-0 at home… Of Note: The clubs did not meet in 2020-21… The winning team has recorded three-plus goals in five of the seven games… CBJ have killed off 14 Golden Knights power play chances over the last six games… Columbus has recorded both shutouts in the all-time series; Sergei Bobrovsky 28 saves in 1-0 W at CBJ on Dec. 17, 2018 and Elvis Merzlikins 27 saves in 30 W at VGK on Jan. 11, 2020… Neither team has posted a hat trick or a penalty shot in the all-time series.

This Season (CBJ, 0-1-0)

Nov. 20, 2021 – at VGK 3, CBJ 2

Mar. 13, 2022 – at Columbus (7 p.m. ET)

CBJ TEAM NOTES

The Blue Jackets snapped a four-game losing streak (0-2-2) with a 3-2 shootout victory over Minnesota on Friday… Six of the club’s last seven games have been decided by a single goal (2-3-2), including three after regulation… The team improved to 11-6-2 (24 pts) in its last 19 games, ranking third-T in the NHL in both wins and points since January 27… The club is in the middle of a stretch of 9-of-11 contests played at Nationwide Arena from Feb. 27-Mar. 19… The club ranks fifth in the NHL in goals-per-game since Jan. 27 (3.74 avg)… CBJ have scored three or more goals (incl. SO goals) in 36 of their 59 games this season (26-8-2)… The club in 23-4-1 when scoring four-plus goals in a game in 2021-22, recording four-plus goals in seven of the last 12 games… CBJ rank second in the League in win percentage after regulation and are one off the lead in wins in OT/SO (10-1-2; .769)… Following Friday’s comeback victory, the Blue Jackets have trailed in 19 of their 29 victories this season.  The 19 comeback victories are tied with Colorado for the most in the NHL… CBJ boast six 30-point scorers on the team… The Blue Jackets ranks second-T in the NHL in goals (34) and 11th-T in points (130) by defensemen… CBJ are 4-2-0 in Sunday games this season.

CBJ PLAYER NOTES

RW Oliver Bjorkstrand set up the game-tying goal on Friday and has 4-2-6 in his last seven games.  He has tallied points in 12 of the last 16 games (8-5-13)… F Max Domi has collected assists in four of his last six games (0-5-5) after setting up the club’s first goal on Friday… D Vladislav Gavrikov has already set single-season career highs in assists and points with 3-22-25 in 57 outings in 2021-22… C Boone Jenner has 4-7-11 in the last 13 games and 11-13-24 with six multi-point efforts in the last 26 contests.  CBJ’s captain leads the club in goals, points and power play goals with 23-21-44 and eight PPG in 59 appearances and is on pace to set single-season career highs in goals, assists and points (30-19-49 in 82 GP in 2015-16; 22 assists in 2018-19)… C Sean Kuraly has set a single-season career high in goals and is on pace to set career highs in assists and points with 9-13-22 in 59 games (6-17-23 in 2019-20)… LW Patrik Laine has recorded points in 15 of the last 19 games (16-11-27) and ranks second in the NHL in goals and fifth-T in points since January 27.  The winger also leads the League in overtime winners (3, tied) and ranks fourth-T in game-winners (7)… G Elvis Merzlikins became the seventh different netminder in franchise history to record 20 wins in a single season with his victory over the Wild on Friday… D Andrew Peeke has played 21-plus minutes in 24 of his last 25 games since January 13 (24:30)… RW Jakub Voracek has recorded 1-10-11 in the last 12 appearances.  He ranks fourth-T in the NHL in primary assists (30) and leads the club in assists overall (40).  His .70 assists-per-game, meanwhile, are the second-highest in a single season in franchise-history, trailing only Artemi Panarin’s .75 A/GP when he posted a club record 59 helpers in 2018-19… D Zach Werenski has collected 4-11-15 in his last 17 games played after tallying his 10th goal of the season on the game-tying goal on Friday.  He has recorded double digit goals in five of his six NHL campaigns.

MILESTONES

•     RW Emil Bemstrom is six games from 100 for his NHL career (15-14-29, 94 GP).

•     C Max Domi is one goal from 100 for his NHL career (99-205-304, 478 GP).

•     C Sean Kuraly is 10 points from 100 for his NHL career (33-57-90, 329 GP).

•     G Elvis Merzlikins is one contest from 100 for his NHL career (41-36-16, 99 GP).

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 Adam Boqvist (upper body; Injured Reserve retroactive to Feb. 27) is day-to-day

•     RW Justin Danforth (lower body; Injured on Mar. 10) is day-to-day

•     C Boone Jenner (lower back; Injured Reserve on Mar. 11) is week-to-week

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 240

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