COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS VS. ST. LOUIS BLUES
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: 31-28-3, 65 pts. (5th, Metropolitan Division)
Goals: 3.24 Goals-For/3.68 Goals-Against… Shots: 30.1 Shots-For/35.5 Shots-Against
Power Play: 18.1 percent (24th, NHL)… Penalty Kill: 78.9 percent (17th, NHL)
Penalty Minutes: 7.7 PIM (6th, NHL)… Overtime Record (Shootout): 10-1-2 (4-2)
ST. LOUIS BLUES
2021-22 Record: 34-17-9, 77 pts. (2nd, Central Division)
Goals: 3.52 Goals-For/2.75 Goals-Against… Shots: 30.6 Shots-For/31.7 Shots-Against
Power Play: 25.6 percent (3rd, NHL)… Penalty Kill: 83.1 percent (6th, NHL)
Penalty Minutes: 8.3 PIM (11th, NHL)… Overtime Record (Shootout): 3-6-3 (2-3)
Players to Watch: All-Star C Jordan Kyrou leads the Blues in goals, assists and points with 22-37-59 in 56 contests this season… D Torey Krug leads club blueliners with 8-25-33 in 55 appearances in 2021-22… G Ville Husso ranks second in the NHL in SV% and fifth in GAA (min. 10 GP) with a 15-4-4 record, 2.22 GAA and .930 SV% in 25 outings this season.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Results: Columbus has gone 32-40-16 in 88 regular season games vs. the Blues, including 21-15-7 at home… Of Note: The teams did not meet during the 2020-21 season… The home team has won the last three games in the series dating back to Nov. 1, 2019… The Blue Jackets have earned points in six of the last eight contests at Nationwide Arena (5-2-1)… CBJ have picked up points in eight of the past 13 games of the series overall since Feb. 6, 2015 (6-5-2)… The winning team has scored three-plus goals in 15 of the last 17 meetings in the series, including five-straight… The teams have combined for just five shutouts in the all-time series with St. Louis’ Manny Legace earning the most recent one on Apr. 5, 2008 (25 saves in 3-0 win at STL).
This Season (CBJ, 0-1-0)
Nov. 27, 2021 – at STL 6, CBJ 3
Mar. 19, 2022 – at Columbus (5 p.m.)
CBJ TEAM NOTES
The Blue Jackets had their three-game win streak snapped with a 7-2 loss to Washington on Thursday… The team fell to 13-7-2 (28 pts) in its last 22 games, ranking third-T in the NHL in wins and fourth-T in points since Jan. 27… The club concludes a stretch of 9-of-11 contests played at Nationwide Arena from Feb. 27-Mar. 19 (4-4-2)… The team ranks fourth in the NHL in goals-per-game since Jan. 27 (3.77 avg)… CBJ have scored three or more goals (incl. SO goals) in 38 of their 62 games this season (28-8-2)… The club in 25-4-1 when scoring four-plus goals in a game in 2021-22, recording four-plus goals in nine of the last 15 games… CBJ rank second in the League in win percentage after regulation and are two off the lead in wins in OT/SO (10-1-2; .769)… The Blue Jackets have trailed in 21 of their 31 victories this season, including in each of their last seven wins. The 21 comeback victories are the most in the NHL and are a new single season record in franchise history (20; 2005-06, 2018-19)… CBJ boast seven 30-point scorers and five 40-point producers on the team… The Blue Jackets rank fourth in the NHL in goals (34) and 10th in points (139) by defensemen… Columbus has recorded PPGs in six of the last nine games (7-of-29; 24.1 pct.).
CBJ PLAYER NOTES
RW Oliver Bjorkstrand is one goal shy of tying his career high set in 2018-19 after notching his 22nd goal of the campaign on Thursday. He has posted 6-5-11 in his last 10 games and has collected points in 14 of the last 19 outings (10-8-18)… F Max Domi has collected assists in six of his last nine games (0-8-8) after picking up an assist on Thursday… D Vladislav Gavrikov has already set single-season career highs in assists and points with 3-22-25 in 60 outings in 2021-22… C Sean Kuraly has set a single-season career high in goals and tied his career high in points with 10-13-23 in 62 games (6-17-23 in 2019-20)… LW Patrik Laine, who has points in three-straight games (2-2-4), has recorded points in 18 of the last 22 games (18-13-31) and ranks second in the NHL in goals and fourth-T in points since Jan. 27. The winger also leads the League in overtime winners (3, tied) and ranks fourth-T in game-winners (7)… G Elvis Merzlikins, who has won his last three starts, became the seventh different netminder in franchise history to record 20 wins in a single season with his victory over the Wild last Friday… D Andrew Peeke has played 21-plus minutes in 27 of his last 28 games since Jan. 13 (24:23) and ranks sixth in the NHL in blocked shots this season with 130… C Jack Roslovic has recorded 4-5-9 while averaging 16:19 of ice time in his last 12 outings since Feb. 24… RW Jakub Voracek has recorded 1-11-12 in his last 14 appearances after collecting an assist on Thursday. He ranks fourth-T in the NHL in primary assists (31) and leads the club in assists overall (41). His .69 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 stretched his points streak to four-straight games (1-4-5) while reaching the 40-point plateau for the fourth time in his career (10-30-40 in 56 GP) with an assist on Thursday. He has 4-15-19 in his last 20 games played, ranking fifth among NHL blueliners in points and seventh in assists since Jan. 23.
MILESTONES
• RW Emil Bemstrom is three games from 100 for his NHL career (15-14-29, 97 GP).
• C Max Domi is one goal from 100 for his NHL career (99-208-307, 481 GP).
• C Sean Kuraly is nine points from 100 for his NHL career (34-57-91, 332 GP).
• LW Patrik Laine is six games from 400 for his NHL career (174-143-317, 394 GP).
• D Andrew Peeke is five games from 100 for his NHL career (2-17-19, 95 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
• C Boone Jenner (lower back; Injured Reserve on Mar. 11) is week-to-week
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 254
COURTESY CBJ COMMUNICATIONS
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