COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS VS. NEW YORK ISLANDERS

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: 32-29-5, 69 pts. (5^th, Metropolitan Division)

Goals:  3.21 Goals-For/3.70 Goals-Against… Shots:  30.0 Shots-For/35.4 Shots-Against

Power Play:  19.2 percent (21^st, NHL)… Penalty Kill:  77.5 percent (20^th, NHL)

Penalty Minutes:  7.7 PIM (6^th, NHL)… Overtime Record (Shootout):  10-3-2 (4-2)

NEW YORK ISLANDERS

2021-22 Record: 28-27-9, 65 pts. (6^th, Metropolitan Division)

Goals:  2.70 Goals-For/2.69 Goals-Against… Shots:  29.1 Shots-For/32.2 Shots-Against

Power Play:  20.5 percent (18^th, NHL)… Penalty Kill:  82.9 percent (6^th, NHL)

Penalty Minutes:  8.7 (16^th, NHL)… Overtime Record (Shootout):  2-3-6 (1-6)

Players to Watch:  C Brock Nelson, who has 4-3-7 over a four-game points streak, leads the Islanders in goals and points with 31-15-46 in 55 appearances this season… D Noah Dobson leads club blueliners in goals, assists and points with 10-27-37 in 62 outings… G Ilya Sorokin ranks second in the NHL in shutouts with a 22-14-7 record, 2.30 GAA, .927 SV% and six shutouts in 43 games in 2021-22.

ALL-TIME SERIES

Results:  Columbus has gone 23-14-7 in 44 all-time meetings, including 15-3-5 at home… Of Note: The clubs did not meet in 2020-21… Columbus has picked up points in four of the last six meetings since Mar. 26, 2019 (3-2-1)… Three of the last five meetings have been decided by a single goal (two in OT)… The Jackets have recorded points in nine of the last 10 home games in the series (6-1-3)… The Blue Jackets have killed off 13-of-15 Islanders power play attempts over the last nine games (86.7 pct.)… New York has posted seven of the 11 shutouts in the all-time series after Ilya Sorokin turned aside all 25 shots in a 6-0 home win on March 10… Neither team has recorded a penalty shot in the series.

This Season (CBJ, 1-1-0)

Oct. 21, 2021 – at CBJ 3, NYI 2 (OT)

Mar. 10, 2022 – at NYI 6, CBJ 0

Mar. 29, 2022 – at Columbus (7 p.m.)
Mar. 31, 2022 – at NY Islanders (7 p.m.)

CBJ TEAM NOTES

The Blue Jackets picked up a point for the sixth time in the last eight games (4-2-2) following a 3-2 overtime loss at Minnesota on Saturday… The team ranks eighth-T in the NHL in points since Jan. 27 with a 14-8-4 record (32 pts) in its last 26 games… The Blue Jackets are in a stretch of five-of-six games played away from Nationwide Arena from Mar. 22-Apr. 2 with the lone home game Tuesday vs. the Islanders… The team ranks fourth in the NHL in goals-per-game since Jan. 27 (3.62 avg)… CBJ have scored three or more goals (incl. SO goals) in 40 of their 66 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 19 games… CBJ rank third in the League in win percentage after regulation and are three off the lead in wins in OT/SO (10-3-2; .667)… The Blue Jackets have trailed in 21 of their 32 victories this season, including seven of their last eight wins.  The 21 comeback victories are tied with Tampa Bay for second-most in the NHL (NY Rangers; 22) 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 (36) and 11^th in points (147) by defensemen… Columbus scored a power play goal in four-straight games (5-of-15; 33.3 pct.) prior to Saturday’s game at Minnesota and in 14 of the past 23 contests (17-of-64; 26.6 pct.), ranking sixth in the NHL in power play pct. since Feb. 8.

CBJ PLAYER NOTES

RW Oliver Bjorkstrand tied his single-season career high with his 23^rd goal of the campaign on Friday.  The forward, who has also set a career high in points (23-6-49 in 64 GP), has posted 7-7-14 in his last 14 games and has collected points in 16 of the last 23 outings (11-10-21)… C Sean Kuraly has set a single-season career high in goals and points with 11-13-24 in 66 games… LW Patrik Laine ranks third-T in the NHL in goals since Jan. 27 while recording points in 20 of the 26 games with 19-15-34.  The winger also leads the League in overtime winners (3, tied) and ranks eighth-T in game-winners (7)… LW Gus Nyquist has posted 2-2-4 in the last four games and has recorded points in seven of his last 11 games (3-6-9)… D Andrew Peeke has played 21-plus minutes in 31 of his last 32 games since Jan. 13 (24:21) and ranks fifth-T in the NHL in blocked shots this season with 138… C Jack Roslovic has recorded 4-8-12 while averaging 16:35 of ice time in his last 16 outings since Feb. 24 after collecting assists on Friday and Saturday… RW Jakub Voracek has recorded points in five-straight games (2-3-5) and has 4-17-21 while posting points in 17 of his last 23 appearances since Jan. 31.  He leads the club in assists (43, 9^th-T most in single season in CBJ history) and his .68 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 eight games (1-6-7) and has 4-17-21 in his last 24 games played, ranking seventh-T among NHL blueliners in scoring since Jan. 23.  He has 10-32-42 in 60 contests this season and is four assists and five points from tying his single-season career highs set in his rookie campaign in 2016-17 (11-36-47, 78 GP).

MILESTONES

•     D Jake Bean is five games from 100 for his NHL career (6-24-30, 95 GP).

•     C Sean Kuraly is eight points from 100 for his NHL career (35-57-92, 336 GP).

•     LW Patrik Laine is two games from 400 for his NHL career (175-144-320, 398 GP) and eight games from 100 for his CBJ career (35-35-70, 92 GP).

•     D Andrew Peeke is one game from 100 for his NHL career (2-17-19, 99 GP).

•     D Zach Werenski is five games from 400 for his NHL career (75-155-230, 395 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: 271

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