COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS VS. DETROIT RED WINGS
TV: Bally Sports Ohio Jeff Rimer (play-by-play), Jody Shelley (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: 33-33-6, 72 pts. (6th, Metropolitan Division)
Goals: 3.14 Goals-For/3.71 Goals-Against… Shots: 30.0 Shots-For/35.6 Shots-Against
Power Play: 17.7 percent (25th, NHL)… Penalty Kill: 78.6 percent (18th, NHL)
Penalty Minutes: 7.8 PIM (5th, NHL)… Overtime Record (Shootout): 10-4-2 (4-2)
DETROIT RED WINGS
2021-22 Record: 28-34-9, 65 pts. (5th, Atlantic Division)
Goals: 2.85 Goals-For/3.80 Goals-Against… Shots: 29.7 Shots-For/33.7 Shots-Against
Power Play: 17.2 percent (27th, NHL)… Penalty Kill: 73.0 percent (31st, NHL)
Penalty Minutes: 9.2 (21st, NHL)… Overtime Record (Shootout): 11-7-2 (3-2)
Players to Watch: C Dylan Larkin leads the club in goals and points and ranks second in assists with 30-37-67 in 66 outings this season… D Moritz Seider leads NHL rookies in assists and ranks fourth in scoring with 5-40-45 in 71 contests in 2021-22… G Alex Nedeljkovic leads team netminders in wins, GAA, SV% and games played with a 18-21-8 record, 3.31 GAA and .901 SV% in 52 contests.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Results: Columbus has gone 44-47-14 in 105 all-time meetings, including 18-27-6 on the road… Of Note: Columbus is 16-5-1 against Detroit since 2016-17… The Red Wings have won the last four games played in Michigan, including the last three in regulation (CBJ; 0-3-1) after Columbus went 9-0-2 from Dec. 16, 2014-Jan. 19, 2021… Each team has recorded three hat tricks in the all-time series, with Rick Nash notching the most recent one on Mar. 7, 2009 (8-2 W at DET)… Columbus has posted eight of the 21 shutouts in the series, as the teams each picked up their most recent shutout in a 1-0 SO CBJ win on Apr. 27, 2021 (CBJ-Merzlikins, 41; DET-Greiss, 33).
This Season (CBJ, 1-1-0)
Oct. 19, 2021 – at DET 4, CBJ 1
Nov. 15, 2021 – at CBJ 5, DET 3
Apr. 9, 2022 – at Detroit (7 p.m.)
CBJ TEAM NOTES
Columbus fell to Philadelphia 4-1 on Thursday, splitting a home-and-home series with the club (1-1-0)… CBJ are playing their fourth game in six days at Detroit on Saturday… The team fell to 15-12-5 (35 pts) in its last 32 games since Jan. 27 and ranks eighth in the NHL in goals-per-game (3.38 avg) over that stretch… CBJ have scored three or more goals (incl. SO goals) in 42 of their 72 games this season (30-9-3)… The club is also 27-4-1 when scoring four-plus goals in a game in 2021-22… CBJ rank eighth in the League in win percentage after regulation (10-4-2; .625)… The Blue Jackets have trailed in 21 of their 33 victories this season, including seven of their last nine wins. The 21 comeback victories are the fourth-most in the NHL (NY Rangers, 25; Florida, 24; Tampa Bay, 22) and are a new single season record in franchise history (20; 2005-06, 2018-19)… CBJ boast six 40-point producers and three 50-point players on the team… The Blue Jackets rank fourth in the NHL in goals (39) and 11th in points (157) by defensemen. The club’s defensemen have combined for 6-23-29 in the last 14 outings, posting two-plus points in 10 of those contests.
CBJ PLAYER NOTES
RW Oliver Bjorkstrand has set a new single-season career high in goals and points with 24-26-50 in 70 appearances this season. The forward has also posted 8-7-15 in his last 20 games and 12-10-22 in the last 29 outings… F Justin Danforth notched his first career game-winner on Tuesday with his eighth goal of the season and has tallied three goals in the last five contests… D Vladislav Gavrikov has recorded 2-3-5 in his last seven outings and has already set career highs in goals (tied, 2019-20), assists and points with 5-25-30 in 70 contests… C Sean Kuraly, who ranks 10th in the NHL with 216 hits, has set a single-season career high in goals and points with 12-16-28 in 72 games… LW Patrik Laine, who is second-T in the NHL in overtime goals (three) and 14th-T in game-winners (seven), ranks ninth in the League in goals since Jan. 27 with 19-18-37 in 32 contests… LW Gus Nyquist has posted 3-3-6 in the last 10 games and has 4-7-11 in his past 17 outings… D Andrew Peeke ranks fifth-T in the NHL in blocked shots this season with 148… C Jack Roslovic has recorded 4-8-12 while averaging 17:00 of ice time in his last 22 outings since Feb. 24… RW Jakub Voracek has collected 4-20-24 in his last 29 appearances since Jan. 31. He leads the club in assists (46, 6th-T most in single season in CBJ history). His .67 assists-per-game, meanwhile, are third-highest average in a single season in franchise-history… D Zach Werenski has recorded points in eight of his last 11 games played (2-7-9) and has 5-18-23 in his last 27 outings, ranking 10th-T among NHL blueliners in scoring since Jan. 23. He has 11-33-44 in 63 contests this season and is three assists and three points from tying his single-season career highs set in his rookie campaign in 2016-17 (11-36-47, 78 GP).
MILESTONES
• C Sean Kuraly is four points from 100 for his NHL career (36-60-96, 342 GP).
• LW Patrik Laine is two games from 100 for his CBJ career (35-38-73, 98 GP).
• C Jack Roslovic is one game from 300 for his NHL career (50-83-133, 299 GP).
• D Zach Werenski is two games from 400 for his NHL career (76-156-232, 398 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
• D Yegor Chinakhov (upper body; First game missed Apr. 4) is day-to-day
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 301
COURTESY BLUE JACKETS COMMUNICATIONS
