COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS VS. WINNIPEG JETS
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: 32-29-3, 67 pts. (5th, Metropolitan Division)
Goals: 3.23 Goals-For/3.70 Goals-Against… Shots: 30.0 Shots-For/35.4 Shots-Against
Power Play: 18.5 percent (23rd, NHL)… Penalty Kill: 78.1 percent (20th, NHL)
Penalty Minutes: 7.6 PIM (6th, NHL)… Overtime Record (Shootout): 10-1-2 (4-2)
WINNIPEG JETS
2021-22 Record: 30-24-10, 70 pts. (6th, Metropolitan Division)
Goals: 3.13 Goals-For/3.03 Goals-Against… Shots: 32.7 Shots-For/32.7 Shots-Against
Power Play: 21.8 percent (13th, NHL)… Penalty Kill: 76.5 percent (21st, NHL)
Penalty Minutes: 9.1 PIM (20th, NHL)… Overtime Record (Shootout): 4-6-4 (1-4)
Players to Watch: LW Kyle Connor ranks fifth in the NHL in goals and points (tied) with 39-40-79 in 64 outings this season… D Nate Schmidt leads club blueliners in assists and points with 4-27-31 in 63 games in 2021-22… G Connor Hellebuyck, who captured the Vezina Trophy in 2019-20 as the NHL’s best netminder, is 23-22-9 with a 2.95 GAA and .911 SV% in 54 games this season.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Results: Columbus has gone 15-14-0 in 29 regular season games vs. Winnipeg/Atlanta, including 7-7-0 on the road… Of Note: The teams did not meet during the 2020-21 season… The home team has won five of the last six meetings in the series… The Jets have won the last two home games in the series after the Blue Jackets won back-to-back games at Winnipeg from Dec. 29, 2016-Oct. 17, 2017… The winning team has scored three-plus goals in 14 of the last 15 games of the series, including five-straight since Jan. 31, 2019… CBJ have scored a power play goal in four of the last five games at Winnipeg (7-of-19; 36.8), including going 3-of-5 in the last visit on Nov. 23, 2019… Columbus owns five of the six shutouts all-time after Elvis Merzlikins turned aside all 36 shots in a 3-0 win in the most recent meeting on Nov. 24, 2021.
This Season (CBJ, 1-0-0)
Nov. 24, 2021 – at CBJ 3, WPG 0
Mar. 25, 2022 – at Winnipeg (8 p.m.)
CBJ TEAM NOTES
The Blue Jackets fell for just the second time in the last six games following a 5-1 loss at Pittsburgh on Tuesday… The team ranks fifth-T in the NHL in wins and sixth-T in points since Jan. 27 with a 14-8-2 record (30 pts) in its last 24 games… After playing nine of the last 11 games at home from Feb. 27-Mar. 19, the Blue Jackets play the second of a three-game road trip and are in a stretch of 5-of-6 away from Nationwide Arena from Mar. 22-Apr. 2… The team ranks fourth in the NHL in goals-per-game since Jan. 27 (3.71 avg)… CBJ have scored three or more goals (incl. SO goals) in 39 of their 64 games this season (29-8-2)… The club in 26-4-1 when scoring four-plus goals in a game in 2021-22, recording four-plus goals in 10 of the last 17 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 32 victories this season, including seven-straight wins prior to Saturday’s victory over the Blues. The 21 comeback victories are tied with the NY Rangers for 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-T in the NHL in goals (34) and 12th in points (142) by defensemen… Columbus has scored a power play goal in three-straight games (3-of-13; 23.1 pct.) and in 13 of the past 21 (15-of-60 25.0 pct.), ranking seventh in the NHL in power play pct. since Feb. 8… The Jackets play their 11th of 15 back-to-back sets on Friday at Winnipeg and Saturday at Minnesota.
CBJ PLAYER NOTES
RW Oliver Bjorkstrand is one goal shy of tying his career high (2018-19) and has set a career high in points with 22-26-48 in 62 GP. He has posted 6-7-13 in his last 12 games and has collected points in 15 of the last 21 outings (10-10-20)… D Vladislav Gavrikov has already set single-season career highs in assists, points and penalty minutes with 3-22-25 and 46 PIM in 62 outings in 2021-22… C Sean Kuraly has set a single-season career high in goals and points with 11-13-24 in 64 games… LW Patrik Laine had his four-game points streak (3-3-6) snapped on Tuesday. He ranks second in the NHL in goals and eighth in points since Jan. 27 while recording points in 19 of the 24 games with 19-14-33. The winger also leads the League in overtime winners (3, tied) and ranks fifth-T in game-winners (7)… D Andrew Peeke has played 21-plus minutes in 29 of his last 30 games since Jan. 13 (24:22) and ranks seventh in the NHL in blocked shots this season with 134… LW Eric Robinson, who has 2-2-4 in his last five contests, has set career highs in goals (tied), assists and points with 8-13-21 in 49 appearances this season… C Jack Roslovic has recorded 4-6-10 while averaging 16:17 of ice time in his last 14 outings since Feb. 24… RW Jakub Voracek has recorded 2-12-14 in his last 16 appearances after collecting an assist on Tuesday. He ranks seventh-T in the NHL in primary assists (31) and leads the club in assists overall (42). 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 has recorded points in five of the last six games (1-5-6) and has 4-16-20 in his last 22 games played, ranking seventh among NHL blueliners in scoring since Jan. 23. He has 10-31-41 in 58 contests this season and is five assists and six points from tying his single-season career high set in his rookie campaign in 2016-17 (11-36-47, 78 GP).
MILESTONES
• D Jake Bean is seven games from 100 for his NHL career (5-24-29, 93 GP).
• RW Emil Bemstrom is one game from 100 for his NHL career (16-15-31, 99 GP).
• C Sean Kuraly is eight points from 100 for his NHL career (35-57-92, 334 GP).
• LW Patrik Laine is four games from 400 for his NHL career (175-144-319, 396 GP).
• D Andrew Peeke is three games from 100 for his NHL career (2-17-19, 97 GP).
• D Zach Werenski is seven games from 400 for his NHL career (75-154-229, 393 GP).
OhioHEALTH INJURY REPORT
• G Daniil Tarasov (hip; 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
• G Joonas Korpisalo (hip) is out indefinitely
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 263
COURTESY BLUE JACKETS COMMUNICATIONS
