COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS VS. MINNESOTA WILD
TV: ESPN+, HULU Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Brian Boucher (analyst), Leah Hextall (between the glass)
Radio: 97.1 The Fan Bob McElligott (play-by-play), Jody Shelley (analyst), Dylan Tyrer (host)
THE MATCHUP
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
2021-22 Record: 32-29-4, 68 pts. (5th, Metropolitan Division)
Goals: 3.23 Goals-For/3.71 Goals-Against… Shots: 30.1 Shots-For/35.4 Shots-Against
Power Play: 19.4 percent (20th, NHL)… Penalty Kill: 77.8 percent (20th, NHL)
Penalty Minutes: 7.6 PIM (6th, NHL)… Overtime Record (Shootout): 10-2-2 (4-2)
MINNESOTA WILD
2021-22 Record: 38-20-4, 80 pts. (2nd, Central Division)
Goals: 3.65 Goals-For/3.13 Goals-Against… Shots: 32.7 Shots-For/31.7 Shots-Against
Power Play: 19.4 percent (21st, NHL)… Penalty Kill: 76.1 percent (21st, NHL)
Penalty Minutes: 10.5 (29th, NHL)… Overtime Record (Shootout): 10-0-4 (5-4)
Players to Watch: LW Kirill Kaprizov ranks ninth-T in the NHL in scoring with 33-45-78 in 61 games a season after capturing the Calder Trophy (best first year player)… D Alex Goligoski leads club blueliners with 2-26-28 in 57 outings… G Marc-Andre Fleury, who is scheduled to make his team debut on Saturday after being acquired in a trade from Chicago, is a three-time Stanley Cup winner and is 511-297-87, 2.57 GAA, .913 SV% and 71 shutouts in 928 career games.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Results: Columbus has gone 31-25-5 in 61 all-time meetings, including 12-16-3 on the road… Of Note: The clubs did not meet in 2020-21… The Blue Jackets snapped a three-game losing streak in the series with the 3-2 SO victory vs. the Wild on March 11… CBJ are 8-5-0 in the last 13 road games of the series since Oct. 16, 2010 but the Wild have won each of the last two home outings… Four of the last five and seven of the past nine games played in Minnesota have been decided by a single goal… The winning team has scored three-plus goals in 11 of the last 13 meetings (including SO goals) with the victors scoring four-plus in three of the past five… The Blue Jackets have recorded seven of the 11 shutouts in the all-time series while the Wild own both penalty shots and two of the three hat tricks.
This Season (CBJ, 1-0-0)
Mar. 11, 2022 – at CBJ 3, MIN 2 (SO)
Mar. 26, 2022 – at Minnesota (8 p.m. ET)
CBJ TEAM NOTES
The Blue Jackets picked up a point for the fifth time in the last seven games (4-2-1) following a 4-3 overtime loss at Winnipeg on Friday… The team ranks fifth-T in the NHL in wins and sixth-T in points since Jan. 27 with a 14-8-3 record (31 pts) in its last 25 games… The Blue Jackets close out a three-game road trip on Saturday. It’s part of a stretch of five-of-six away from Nationwide Arena from Mar. 22-Apr. 2… The team ranks fourth in the NHL in goals-per-game since Jan. 27 (3.68 avg)… CBJ have scored three or more goals (incl. SO goals) in 40 of their 65 games this season (29-8-3)… 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 18 games… CBJ rank second-T in the League in win percentage after regulation (Minnesota) and are three off the lead in wins in OT/SO (10-2-2; .714)… The Blue Jackets have trailed in 21 of their 32 victories this season, including seven-straight wins prior to last 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 six 40-point producers on the team… The Blue Jackets rank third-T in the NHL in goals (35) and 10th-T in points (144) by defensemen… Columbus, which went two-for-two on the man advantage on Friday, has scored a power play goal in four-straight games (5-of-15; 33.3 pct.) and in 14 of the past 22 contests (17-of-62; 27.4 pct.), ranking sixth in the NHL in power play pct. since Feb. 8… The Jackets conclude their 11th of 15 back-to-back sets on Saturday at Minnesota.
CBJ PLAYER NOTES
RW Oliver Bjorkstrand tied his single-season career high with his 23rd goal of the campaign to tie the game at three with 14 seconds remaining on Friday. The forward, who has also set a career high in points (23-6-49 in 63 GP), has posted 7-7-14 in his last 13 games and has collected points in 16 of the last 22 outings (11-10-21)… C Sean Kuraly has set a single-season career high in goals and points with 11-13-24 in 65 games… LW Patrik Laine ranks second in the NHL in goals and 10th-T in points since Jan. 27 while recording points in 19 of the 25 games with 19-14-33. The winger also leads the League in overtime winners (3, tied) and ranks seventh-T in game-winners (7)… LW Gus Nyquist picked up a point for a third-straight game (2-2-4) with an assist on Friday and has recorded points in seven of his last 10 games (3-6-9)… D Andrew Peeke has played 21-plus minutes in 30 of his last 31 games since Jan. 13 (24:19) and ranks fifth-T in the NHL in blocked shots this season with 137… LW Eric Robinson, who has 2-2-4 in his last six contests, has set career highs in goals (tied), assists and points with 8-13-21 in 50 appearances this season… C Jack Roslovic has recorded 4-7-11 while averaging 16:33 of ice time in his last 15 outings since Feb. 24 after collecting an assist on Friday… RW Jakub Voracek has recorded points in four-straight games (1-3-4) and has 2-13-15 in his last 17 appearances. He ranks ninth-T in the NHL in primary assists (31) and leads the club in assists overall (43, 9th-T most in single season in club history). 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 six of the last seven games (1-6-7) and has 4-17-21 in his last 23 games played, ranking sixth-T among NHL blueliners in scoring since Jan. 23. He has 10-32-42 in 59 contests this season and is four assists and five 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 six games from 100 for his NHL career (5-24-29, 94 GP).
• C Sean Kuraly is eight points from 100 for his NHL career (35-57-92, 335 GP).
• LW Patrik Laine is three games from 400 for his NHL career (175-144-319, 397 GP).
• D Andrew Peeke is two games from 100 for his NHL career (2-17-19, 98 GP).
• D Zach Werenski is six games from 400 for his NHL career (75-155-230, 394 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
• 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: 267
COURTESY BLUE JACKETS COMMUNICATIONS
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