By Joe Coopersmith
DEC. 12, 2024 II NATIONWIDE ARENA II VS. WASHINGTON CAPITALS
GAME AT A GLANCE
THREE STARS
1st – A. Protas, WSH (2-0-2, OTG); 2nd – C. Lindgren, WSH (32-of-33, OTW); 3rd – J. Greaves, CBJ (35-fo-37, OTL)
GOAL SCORERS
Columbus: PPG – Z. Werenski (10)
Washington: A. Protas (10), OTW – A. Protas (11)
GOALTENDERS
Columbus: J. Greaves (35 saves, OTL)
Washington: C. Lindgren (32 saves, OTW)
SPECIAL TEAMS
Columbus PP: 1-for-5, 10 shots
Washington PP: 0-for-1, 1 shot
BLUE JACKETS TEAM NOTES
- The Blue Jackets have collected points in six of their last seven home contests (4-1-2) as well as nine of their last 11 games at Nationwide Arena (7-2-2) following tonight’s overtime loss to the Capitals.
- CBJ scored the first goal of the game for the 17th time this season (9-5-3) and 10 times in the past 17 contests.
- The club has recorded 96 goals (not including SO goals) in the first 29 games this season. It’s the third-most goals scored through the opening 29 contests of a campaign in franchise history, one shy of the 97 netted in 2016-17 and four shy of the 100 recorded in 2018-19.
- Columbus has scored goals in 59-of-the-87 periods played in regulation this year after scoring in the second period tonight.
- CBJ scored a power play goal for the third-straight game (3-for-9, 33.3 pct.) for the first time this season.
- Tonight’s attendance was 15,962.
BLUE JACKETS PLAYER NOTES
- G Jet Greaves made his CBJ season debut tonight, posting 35 saves on 37 shots faced, finishing with a .946 SV% in the overtime loss. He has turned aside 73 o the 78 shots faced (.936 SV%) in his last two NHL contests dating back to the 2023-24 season finale on Apr. 16 vs. Carolina.
- C Kent Johnson (9-8-17, 15 GP) collected an assist tonight and has five points in his past three games (3-2-5). He has also recorded points in 12 of his 15 games played this season (1.13 P/GP).
- C Sean Monahan (9-16-25, 29 GP) tallied an assist to stretch his points streak to three-straight games (1-2-3). The forward recorded his 25th point in his 29th game as a Blue Jacket, becoming the fifth player in club history to record 25 points in 29 career contests or fewer: Johnny Gaudreau (22 GP), Andrew Cassels (23 GP), Antoine Vermette (29 GP) and Artemi Panarin (29 GP). He has posted 8-7-15 in 22 career games against the Capitals with 1-3-4 in his last five contests.
- D Zach Werenski (10-20-30, 29 GP) became the second Blue Jacket to reach the double-digit goal mark this season (Kirill Marchenko, 10) with his 100th career goal on the power play tonight (100-232-332, 515 GP). He became the first defenseman, and eighth player, in franchise history to reach the career milestone. The goal marks his second power play goal in as many games as he has now collected 2-2-4 in his past five games as well as in 13 of the last 16 outings (7-14-21). The blueliner also extended his home points streak to eight games (7-8-15). He bested his own franchise record for fewest games to 30 points by a defenseman in a season (40 GP in 2023-24). The blueliner now has 3-6-9 in 23 career games against Washington and 1-2-3 in his last five home games against the club.
- Werenski (515 GP) became the seventh-fastest American defenseman to reach the mark in NHL history (515 GP), trailing only Phil Housley (377 GP), Reed Larson (379 GP), Mark Howe (398 GP), Brian Leetch (428 GP), Dustin Byfuglien (473 GP) and Gary Suter (493 GP).
BLUE JACKETS POST-GAME AUDIO INTERVIEWS
HC Dean Evason | G Jet Greaves | D Damon Severson | D Zach Werenski
HURRICANES POST-GAME AUDIO INTERVIEWS
HC Spencer Carbery | F Pierre-Luc Dubois | G Charlie Lindgren | F Aliaksei Protas
COURTESY BLUE JACKETS COMMUNICATIONS
