By Joe Coopersmith

DEC. 19, 2024 II NATIONWIDE ARENA II VS. NEW JERSEY DEVILS

BROADCAST INFORMATION

TV:  FanDuel Sports Network

Steve Mears (play-by-play), Jody Shelley (analyst), Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre (analyst), Dave Maetzold (reporter), Brian Giesenschlag (Host)

Radio:  97.1 The Fan   

Bob McElligott (play-by-play), Dylan Tyrer (host)

Devils to Watch

• LW Jesper Bratt, who has points in four-straight games (1-4-5), leads the Devils in assists (tied) and points with 14-28-42 in 34 outings, ranking eighth-T in the league in scoring.
• C Jack Hughes is tied for the club lead in assists and ranks second in points with 13-28-41 in outings and has recorded 7-7-14 in 11 career games against the Blue Jackets.

All-Time Series

• Columbus has gone 28-19-4 in 51 all-time games against the Devils, including 16-10-4 at home.
• The Devils have won three-straight at Nationwide Arena following a seven-game home win streak for CBJ from Feb. 10, 2018-Mar. 1, 2022.
• The Jackets have collected points in two of the past four meetings (1-2-1).
• The winning team has recorded four-plus goals in three consecutive meetings and seven of the last nine since Jan. 8, 2022 as well as 12 of the last 15 played at Nationwide Arena dating back to Feb. 25, 2016.
• Seven of the last 12 meetings since Feb. 16, 2020 have been decided by a single goal.
• Columbus has recorded a power play goal a four of the last five meetings at Nationwide Arena (4-of-15; 25.0 pct.).
• CBJ have killed off 10-of-11 New Jersey power play attempts over the last four meetings (90.9 pct.).

This Season (CBJ, 0-0-0)

• Dec. 19, 2024 – at COLUMBUS (7 pm ET)
• Mar. 11, 2025 – at NEW JERSEY (7 pm ET)
• Mar. 17, 2025 – at COLUMBUS (7 pm ET)

Player Notables vs. Devils

• F Zach Aston Reese – 2-6-8 in 21 career GP, including 0-5-5 in eight career home games.
• C Adam Fantilli – 0-2-2 in 4 career GP, with assists in two of his past three contests.
• C Sean Monahan – 10-12-22 with six multi-point efforts in 19 career GP, including 5-7-12 in 10 career home contests.
• D Ivan Provorov – 4-16-20 in 35 career GP, including 2-10-12 in 17 career home appearances.
• C Cole Sillinger – 1-3-4 in 10 career GP, including a goal in the most recent meeting on Jan. 19, 2024.
• LW James van Riemsdyk – 17-19-36 with eight multi-point efforts in 50 career GP, including 0-4-4 in his past six contests as well as 1-7-8 and three multi-point outings in his last eight home games.

BLUE JACKETS TEAM NOTES

• Columbus is in a stretch of three-of-four games played away from Nationwide Arena from Dec. 15-21 with the lone home game Thursday against New Jersey.
• The Jackets are also in a stretch of nine-of-13 games played at Nationwide Arena from Dec. 10-Jan. 4.
• Columbus has recorded six or more goals in seven of its first 32 games this season.  It’s tied for the third-most games among all teams (Washington), trailing only Winnipeg (9) and Florida (8).  It’s the fifth time in franchise history that CBJ have scored at least six goals in seven or more contests in a campaign.  The club set a franchise mark with 11 games of six or more goals in 2018-19.
• The club’s 103 goals (not including SO goals) are the third-most through the first 32 games of a season in franchise history, trailing only 2016-17 (108) and 2018-19 (107).
• Columbus’ 3.22 goals-for/game in 2024-25 is the 11th-highest in the NHL.  The club averaged a franchise-best 3.15 goals-per-game during the 2021-22 season.
• The Jackets have scored in 63-of-96 periods in regulation this season.  The club has also registered 29 multi-goal frames after scoring all three goals in the third period at Tampa Bay on Tuesday.
• Columbus’ 74 goals scored at 5-on-5 play are the fourth-most in the NHL this season, trailing only Washington (80), Tampa Bay (75) and Vegas (75).
• The Jackets have scored first in 17 (9-5-3) of the first 32 games this season.
• The Blue Jackets play 11-of-12 games against the Eastern Conference from Dec. 10-Jan. 2 (Dec. 14 vs. ANA).  The club is also in a stretch of 4-of-6 contests played against Metropolitan Division foes from Dec. 10-19 (PHI-2, CAR-1, NJD-1).
• CBJ have recorded power play goals in five of the last six games (5-of-21; 23.8 pct.), ranking 10th in the league in PP percentage since Dec. 8.
• Columbus plays its sixth (2-3-0) of 19 Thursday games when it hosts New Jersey.

BLUE JACKETS PLAYER NOTES

• CBJ leads the league in goals and goal percentage by defensemen and rank third in points percentage and fifth in points with 21-54-75, 20.4 pct. of the club’s goals and 27.4 pct. of the team’s points in 32 contests.
• F Kent Johnson has recorded points in four of the last six games (3-3-6, two multi-point efforts) and 13 of his first 18 games this season (9-9-18).  He’s also the second Blue Jacket to record points in his first nine home contests of a campaign (4-8-12), joining Cam Atkinson (10 GP in 2015-16 and 2016-17).
• RW Kirill Marchenko collected two assists on Tuesday to stretch his points streak to three-straight (1-3-4) as well as points in six of the last seven contests (1-6-7) and recorded 5-10-15 in the last 14 games since Nov. 21.  The forward leads the club in goals, points (tied), multi-assist and multi-point efforts and ranks second in assists with 11-20-31, five multi-assist and nine multi-point outings in 32 contests.  He surpassed his single-season career high in assists (19, 2023-24) with his second assist against the Lightning.
• C Sean Monahan has picked up 3-11-14 with four multi-point efforts in his last 17 games.  The forward ranks second-T on the club in multi-point outings and third in goals (tied), assists and points with 9-16-25 and seven multi-point outings in 32 contests.
• RW Mathieu Olivier has already set a single-season career high in goals and ranks third in the NHL in penalty minutes and sixth in hits with 8-4-12, 60 PIM and 115 hits in 32 games.  He is one of two players (Ottawa’s Brady Tkachuk and Utah’s Jack McBain) with five-plus goals, 50 PIM and 80 hits in 2024-25.
• D Damon Severson has registered 2-7-9 in the last 14 contests dating back to Nov. 21.  He ranks ninth-T among NHL defensemen in goals and second among club blueliners in goals, assists and points with 6-11-17 in 32 contests.
• C Cole Sillinger notched a goal on Tuesday and has recorded 4-8-12 in his last 16 contests since Nov. 15.   A season after setting a single-season career high in assists (19), he ranks fourth on the club in assists and points with 6-14-20 in his first 31 outings.
• F Dmitri Voronkov has recorded points in back-to-back games (1-1-2) and has recorded 7-6-13 with three multi-point efforts in his last 17 games.
• D Zach Werenski has recorded points in 14 of the past 19 games (7-15-22).  The 27-year-old Grosse Pointe, Michigan native leads the NHL in TOI/GP and league blueliners in goals and shots on goal, while ranking third in points and sixth-T in assists with 10-21-31 and 114 shots on 26:22 of ice time in 32 contests this season.  With 100-233-333 in 518 games played, he’s passed Rostislav Klesla (515 GP) for third on the club’s all-time games played list for defensemen, became the first blueliner – and eighth player – in CBJ history with 100 career goals (Dec. 12) and now sits one point shy of tying Nick Foligno (334 points in 599 GP) for fourth on the team’s all-time scoring list.

BLUE JACKETS MILESTONES

• LW Zach Aston-Reese is 10 points from 100 for his NHL career (46-44-90, 341 GP).
• RW Kirill Marchenko is two points from 100 for his CBJ/NHL career (55-43-97, 169 GP).
• C Sean Monahan is four games from 800 for his NHL career (253-310-563, 796 GP).
• C Cole Sillinger is six points from 100 for his CBJ/NHL career (38-56-94, 251 GP).
• F Dmitri Voronkov is two games from 100 for his CBJ/NHL career (26-22-48, 98 GP).

OhioHEALTH INJURY REPORT

• F Boone Jenner (shoulder) is on Injured Reserve on Oct. 7; (32 Games)
• D Erik Gudbranson (upper body) is on Injured Reserve on Oct. 16; (29 Games)
• C Yegor Chinakhov (upper body); is on Injured Reserve retroactive to Nov. 27 (11 Games)
• F Justin Danforth (lower body); (4 Games)
• D Jack Johnson (upper body); (1 Game)

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 122

COURTESY BLUE JACKETS COMMUNICATIONS