COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS VS. SAN JOSE SHARKS

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: 35-35-6, 76 pts. (6^th, Metropolitan Division)

Goals:  3.17 Goals-For/3.68 Goals-Against… Shots:  30.0 Shots-For/35.4 Shots-Against

Power Play:  17.1 percent (25^th, NHL)… Penalty Kill:  79.0 percent (19^th, NHL)

Penalty Minutes:  7.7 PIM (5^th, NHL)… Overtime Record (Shootout):  11-4-2 (4-2)

SAN JOSE SHARKS

2021-22 Record: 29-34-12, 70 pts. (6^th, Pacific Division)

Goals:  2.57 Goals-For/3.17 Goals-Against… Shots:  29.4 Shots-For/32.0 Shots-Against

Power Play:  18.2 percent (23^rd, NHL)… Penalty Kill:  86.1 percent (3^rd, NHL)

Penalty Minutes:  9.0 (18^th, NHL)… Overtime Record (Shootout):  9-9-3 (2-3)

Players to Watch:  All-Star RW Timo Meier leads the club in goals and points with 33-40-73 in 70 games this season… D Brent Burns leads the team in assists and ranks third-T in points with 9-41-50 in 75 outings in 2021-22… G James Reimer is 18-16-9 with a 2.84 GAA, .912 SV% and a shutout while playing in 45 games for the Sharks this season.

ALL-TIME SERIES

Results:  Columbus has gone 24-33-5 in 62 all-time meetings vs. San Jose, including 8-20-2 on the road… Of Note: The clubs did not meet in 2020-21… The Blue Jackets are 11-7-1 in the last 19 meetings since Feb. 21, 2012… The Jackets have gone 4-2-0 in the past six meetings… CBJ have earned wins in five of the last eight games at San Jose… The winning team has scored three-plus goals in 19 of the last 20 games of the series, including the last 11-straight… CBJ have recorded four-plus goals in each of their last five victories in the series since Nov. 4, 2015… Each team has recorded six shutouts, three hat tricks and two penalty shots in the all-time series.

This Season (CBJ, 1-0-0)

Dec. 5, 2021 – at CBJ 6, SJS 4

Apr. 19, 2022 – at San Jose (10:30 p.m.)

CBJ TEAM NOTES

Columbus fell for a second consecutive game with a 6-4 loss at Anaheim on Sunday… CBJ conclude their annual California road trip at San Jose on Tuesday… The team, which has scored four-plus goals in three of the last four games, ranks 10th in the NHL in goals-per-game (3.42 avg) since Jan. 27… CBJ have scored three or more goals (incl. SO goals) in 45 of their 76 games this season (32-10-3)… The club is also 29-5-1 when scoring four-plus goals in a game in 2021-22… CBJ rank fifth in the League in win percentage after regulation (11-4-2; .647)… The Blue Jackets have trailed in 22 of their 35 victories this season, including eight of their last 11 wins.  The 22 comeback victories are tied for the fifth-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 and three 50-point players on the team… The Blue Jackets rank fifth-T in the NHL in goals (41) and 12^th-T in points (166) by defensemen.  The club’s defensemen, who collected 2-2-4 on Sunday, have combined for 8-30-38 in the last 18 outings, posting two-plus points in 13 of those contests… Columbus denied Anaheim on its lone power play attempt on Sunday and have killed off 21-of-22 opponent power play attempts over the last seven games to rank fourth in the NHL in PK pct. since Apr. 4 (95.5 pct.)… CBJ have tied a franchise record set in the inaugural season in 2000-01 with 10 players making their NHL debut in 2021-22 after F Kent Johnson and D Nick Blankenburg made their League debuts last Wednesday (also Chinakhov, Christiansen, Danforth, Fix-Wolansky, Hofmann, Meyer, Sillinger, Tarasov).

CBJ PLAYER NOTES

D Jake Bean notched his second two-goal game of the season at Anaheim on Sunday F Justin Danforth has tallied points in five of the last nine contests (4-1-5)… D Vladislav Gavrikov has recorded 2-5-7 in his last 11 outings and has already set career highs in goals (tied, 2019-20), assists and points with 5-27-32 in 74 contests… C Sean Kuraly ranks 13th in the NHL with 225 hits (5^th-most in CBJ history; since 2005-06).  The forward, who has points in four-straight games played (3-2-5) and goals in each of the last two contests, has set a single-season career high in goals and points with 14-16-30 in 74 games… LW Patrik Laine, who missed Sunday’s game at Anaheim due to an upper body injury, is 10th-T in the League in goals since Jan. 27 with 20-21-41 in 35 contests… G Elvis Merzlikins started a career-high 11-straight games from Mar. 25-Apr. 16, posting a .913 SV% over that stretch… LW Gus Nyquist has collected assists in four-straight games (0-6-6) and has 3-9-12 in the last 14 games and 4-13-17 in his past 21 outings.  He reached the 30-assist mark in a season (31) for the third time in his career… D Andrew Peeke ranks fourth-T in the NHL in blocked shots this season with 161 and has registered the fourth-most hits in a single season in franchise history (since 2005-06)… C Jack Roslovic has recorded 5-2-7 in the last four outings and has recorded 9-10-19, while averaging 17:32 of ice time in his last 26 outings since Feb. 24… C Cole Sillinger has collected 3-3-6 in his last eight games and his 14 goals are tied for the fourth-most among CBJ rookies in a single season in franchise history… RW Jakub Voracek  has registered 4-24-28 in his last 33 appearances since Jan. 31.  With 5-10-55 in 73 games, he is the third player in franchise history to record 50 assists in a campaign, joining Artemi Panarin (59 in 2018-19 and 55 in 2016-17) and Ray Whitney (52 in 2002-03)… D Zach Werenski has recorded 2-10-12 in his last 15 games played.  He ranks 10th-T in the NHL among blueliners in scoring since Jan. 23 with 5-21-24 in 31 outings.  The 24-year-old has also tied his single-season career highs in assists and points with 11-36-47 in 67 contests this season (11-36-47 in 78 GP in rookie campaign in 2016-17).

MILESTONES

•     D Vladislav Gavrikov is two games from 200 for his NHL career (12-51-63, 198 GP).

•     C Sean Kuraly is two points from 100 for his NHL career (38-60-98, 344 GP).

•     LW Gus Nyquist is four points from 400 for his NHL career (163-233-396, 646 GP).

•     RW Jakub Voracek is seven points from 800 for his NHL career (221-572-793, 1,041 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

•     RW Patrik Laine (upper body: First game missed Apr. 17) is day-to-day

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 324

COURTESY COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS COMMUNICATIONS