By Joe Coopersmith

DEC. 23, 2024 II NATIONWIDE ARENA II VS. MONTREAL CANADIENS

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)

Canadiens to Watch

• W Patrik Laine, who totaled 64-84-138 in 174 games with the Blue Jackets over four seasons from 2020-24, has notched 8-1-9 in his first nine outings with the Canadiens, including five goals over a current three-game goal streak.
• C Nick Suzuki leads the Canadiens in scoring and ranks second in assists with 11-23-34 in 33 contests in 2024-25 and has totaled 6-11-17 in 14 career appearances vs. CBJ.

All-Time Series

• Columbus has gone 20-17-6 in 43 all-time meetings vs. Montreal, including 10-7-2 at home.
• Montreal has won the last seven contests in the series (CBJ; 0-5-2) following a six-game Blue Jackets win streak from Nov. 19, 2019-Nov. 17, 2022 and eight-game points streak from Mar. 28-2019-Nov. 17, 2022 (7-0-1).
• The winning team has scored four or more goals in five of the past six and 10 of the last 13 games of the series.
• The winning team has won by multiple goals in seven of the last nine games of the series overall and 11 of the last 13 played at Nationwide Arena since Feb. 26, 2015.
• CBJ have recorded points in nine of the past 12 games played at Nationwide Arena dating back to Jan. 25, 2016 (8-3-1).
• The Blue Jackets own four of the six shutouts in the all-time series but the Canadiens have earned the last two, including Cayden Primeau turning aside all 41 shots in a 3-0 win at Montreal on Mar. 12, 2024.
• Each team has recorded a hat trick in the series with Cam Atkinson netting three in a 5-2 CBJ win at Columbus on Jan. 25, 2016.

This Season (CBJ, 0-1-1)

• Nov. 16, 2024 – at MTL 5, CBJ 1
• Nov. 27, 2024 – MTL 4, at CBJ 3 (OT)
• Dec. 23, 2024 – at COLUMBUS (7 pm ET)

Player Notables vs. Canadiens

• LW Kent Johnson – 0-3-3 in 5 career GP, including assists in his last two games played against the club and two of his last three at Nationwide Arena.
• RW Kevin Labanc – 2-8-10 with three multi-point efforts in 13 career GP, including 0-3-3 in his last four games against Montreal.
• C Sean Monahan – 10-9-19 with six multi-point outings in 27 career GP, including 3-2-5 with two multi-point efforts in his last six home contests against the Canadiens.
• RW Mathieu Olivier – 3-0-3 in 7 career GP, recording goals in all three career home contests.
• C Cole Sillinger – 3-2-5 in nine career GP, including 2-1-3 in four career home outings against the team.
• LW James van Riemsdyk – 19-15-34 in 48 career GP, including points in three of his last four games against Montreal (1-3-4) and nine points in his last nine games (3-6-9).
• LW Dmitri Voronkov – 0-3-3 in five career GP, with an assist in each of his two games played at Nationwide Arena.
• D Zach Werenski – 3-10-13 in 20 career GP, including 2-8-10 in his last 11 outings overall and assists in three of his past four at Nationwide Arena after recording 1-1-2 on Nov. 27.

BLUE JACKETS TEAM NOTES

• Columbus has recorded points in two-straight games, earning a 4-2 win over New Jersey on Thursday and picking up a point in a 5-4 OT loss at Philadelphia on Saturday.
• CBJ have recorded points in 11 of their last 13 home games (8-2-3; .731 points pct), ranking second in the NHL in goals-for at home (4.00), fourth in power play pct. (27.8) and fifth in points pct. since Oct. 22.
• The Blue Jackets’ 3.26 goals-for/game in 2024-25 ranks as the 10th-highest in the NHL.  The club averaged a franchise-best 3.15 goals-per-game during the 2021-22 season.
• The club’s 111 goals (not including SO goals) are the second-most through the first 34 games of a season in franchise history, trailing only 2016-17 (117).
• The Blue Jackets scored in all three periods in regulation against both the Devils and Flyers, marking the 12th and 13^th times this season the club has accomplished the feat.  The Jackets have scored in 69-of-102 periods in regulation this season.
• The club has also registered 31 multi-goal frames after scoring two of their four goals at Philadelphia on Saturday in the third period.
• Columbus has recorded six or more goals in seven of its first 34 games this season.  It’s tied for the third-most games among all teams (Washington), trailing only Florida and Winnipeg (9 each).  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.
• Columbus’ 80 goals scored at 5-on-5 play are the third-most in the NHL this season, trailing only Washington (83) and Vegas (82).
• The Jackets have scored first in each of the last two games and have scored first in 19 (10-5-4) of the first 34 contests this season.
• The Blue Jackets are in a stretch of 11-of-12 games against the Eastern Conference from Dec. 10-Jan. 2 (Dec. 14 vs. ANA).  Columbus plays its three games this week against the Atlantic Division, hosting Montreal on Dec. 23 before playing a home-and-home set against Boston on Dec. 27-28.
• CBJ finished 0-of-1 on the power play on Saturday and have now recorded power play goals in six of the last eight games (6-of-24; 25.0 pct.), ranking sixth-T in the league in PP percentage since Dec. 8.
• Columbus has allowed one power play goal over the last six games, killing off 10-of-11 opponent opportunities since Dec. 12 (90.9 pct.).
• The Jackets’ 35 first period goals are tied for the fourth-most in the NHL and 41 third period goals are tied for seventh-most.
• Columbus plays its third (2-0-0) of six Monday games this season when it hosts Montreal.

BLUE JACKETS PLAYER NOTES

• CBJ blueliners, who have posted 3-1-4 in the last two games, lead the league in goals and goal percentage by defensemen and rank third in points percentage and fourth-T in points with 24-55-79, 21.6 pct. of the club’s goals and 27.0 pct. of the team’s points in 34 contests.
• F Kent Johnson collected an assist on Saturday and has recorded points in 14 of his first 20 games this season (9-10-19) and has already surpassed his season totals from 2023-24 in goals and points (6-10-16, 42 GP).
• RW Kirill Marchenko notched a goal and has registered points in five-straight games (2-5-7) to tie his career-best (3-2-5, Nov. 2-11, 2023).  He has recorded points in eight of the last nine contests (2-8-10) and has registered 6-12-18 in the last 16 games since Nov. 21.  He notched his 100^th career point (55-45-100, 170 GP on Dec. 19) on his second assist against New Jersey on Thursday, requiring the fourth-fewest games by a Blue Jackets player to reach the milestone (Pierre-Luc Dubois, 142 GP; Nikolai Zherdev, 150 GP; Rick Nash, 164 GP).  Marchenko leads the club in goals, assists, points, multi-assist and multi-point efforts with 12-22-34, six multi-assist and 10 multi-point outings in 34 contests.  He has already surpassed his single-season career high in assists (19, 2023-24).
• C Sean Monahan notched his third game of three or more points this season with 2-1-3 on Thursday against New Jersey.  He has picked up 5-12-17 with five multi-point efforts in his last 19 games.  The forward is tied for the team lead in multi-goal games (2) and ranks second in goals (tied) and multi-point outings and third in assists and points with 11-17-28 and eight multi-point outings in 34 contests.
• RW Mathieu Olivier has recorded points in two-straight (1-1-2) and three of the last five (1-2-3) after notching a goal at Philadelphia on Saturday.  He has already set a single-season career high in goals and ranks third in the NHL in penalty minutes and fourth-T in hits with 9-5-14, 62 PIM and 123 hits in 34 games.  He is one of two NHL 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 16 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 34 contests.
• C Cole Sillinger has recorded 4-8-12 in his last 18 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 33 outings.
• F Dmitri Voronkov collected his fourth multi-point outing of the season with two third period assists on Saturday.  He has recorded points in four consecutive games (1-4-5) and has tied his career best with assists in the last three outings (0-4-4).  He has registered 7-9-16 with four multi-point efforts in his last 19 contests.
• D Zach Werenski notched a power play goal on Thursday and has registered power play points in five of the last eight contests (3-2-5).  He has also recorded points in 15 of the past 21 games (8-15-23).  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 seventh-T in assists with 11-21-32 and 117 shots on 26:26 of ice time in 34 contests this season.  With 100-234-334 in 520 games, he’s tied with 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 nine points from 100 for his NHL career (46-45-91, 343 GP).
• C Sean Monahan is two games from 800 for his NHL career (255-311-566, 798 GP).
• C Cole Sillinger is six points from 100 for his CBJ/NHL career (38-56-94, 253 GP).

OhioHEALTH INJURY REPORT

• F Boone Jenner (shoulder) is on Injured Reserve on Oct. 7; (34 Games)
• D Erik Gudbranson (upper body) is on Injured Reserve on Oct. 16; (31 Games)
• C Yegor Chinakhov (upper body); is on Injured Reserve retroactive to Nov. 27 (13 Games)
• F Justin Danforth (lower body); (6 Games)
• D Dante Fabbro (lower body); (2 Games)

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 132

COURTESY BLUE JACKETS COMMUNICATIONS