By Joe Coopersmith

BLUE JACKETS TEAM NOTES

• Columbus opened up its home slate of the 2024-25 schedule tonight with its first of four-straight contests at Nationwide Arena.
• CBJ are now 26-20-0-5 against the Panthers all time and 4-5-2 in the last 11 at Nationwide Arena.
• The Blue Jackets scored their first shorthanded goal of the season in the second period.
• CBJ outshot Florida 38-to-22 and won 57% of faceoffs (35-of-61).
• Tonight’s attendance was a sellout crowd of 18,484.

BLUE JACKETS PLAYER NOTES

• The top line of RW Yegor Chinakhov, LW Kirill Marchenko, C Sean Monahan have combined for 13 points through the first three games of the season (4-9-13) after picking up three points on Monahan’s second period goal (Chinakhov and Marchenko assisting).  Chinakhov leads all CBJ skaters with five points (1-4-5) on the season.
• C Kent Johnson tallied a shorthanded assist on Sillinger’s goal, the first of his career.  He now has points in all three games this season (2-2-4).
• RW Kevin Labanc picked up his second assist of the season tonight and has assists in back-to-back games.
• C Sean Monahan scored a goal in his second consecutive game (2-2-4) to give CBJ a 2-1 lead.   He has now recorded 8-6-14 in 19 career outings against the Panthers, including points in six of his last five home games against the club (5-4-9).
• C Cole Sillinger scored his first career shorthanded goal.  He now has collected points in back-to-back games after picking up an assist at Colorado last Saturday.
• LW James van Riemsdyk scored his first goal as a Blue Jacket in the third period to cut the lead to 4-3.
• D Damon Severson assisted on van Riemsdyk’s goal and now has assists in all three games this season.  It’s the second time in his career he’s posted assists in the first three games to start the season (0-4-4 in 4 GP from Oct. 6-16, 2018 with New Jersey.  He has now registered 3-11-14 in 24 career GP against Florida with assists in four of his last six home games (0-4-4).

BLUE JACKETS POST-GAME AUDIO INTERVIEWS

HC Dean Evason | F Sean Monahan | F Cole Sillinger | F James van Riemsdyk

PANTHERS POST-GAME AUDIO INTERVIEWS

HC Paul Maurice | D Adam Boqvist | D Dmitry Kulikov | F Eetu Luostarinen

BLUE JACKETS UPCOMING SCHEDULE

Wednesday, Oct. 16      No practice

Thursday, Oct. 17           vs. Buffalo Sabres – 7 pm ET at Nationwide Arena

Friday, Oct. 18  Practice – 11 am ET at Nationwide Arena

Saturday, Oct. 19           vs. Minnesota Wild – 7pm at Nationwide Arena

COURTESY BLUE JACKETS COMMUNICATIONS