By Joe Coopersmith

DEC. 27, 2024 II NATIONWIDE ARENA II VS. BOSTON BRUINS

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)

Bruins to Watch

• LW Brad Marchand, who has recorded points in 10-straight games (7-6-13), leads the Bruins in goals and ranks second in points with 15-15-30 in 36 contests and has totaled 14-15-29 in 30 career games against CBJ.
• D Charlie McAvoy has assists in five consecutive outings (0-5-5), leads club blueliners with 5-11-16 in 36 outings and has registered 1-12-13 in 16 career appearances against Columbus.

All-Time Series

• Columbus has gone 16-16-10 in 42 all-time meetings vs. Boston, including 9-8-5 at home.
• CBJ have recorded points in seven of the last 10 games of the series at Nationwide Arena (5-3-2) but Boston has won four of the last five in Ohio (CBJ; 1-2-2).
• The winning team has scored four or more goals in five of the last seven meetings as well as won by multiple goals in seven of the last nine games of the series.
• The teams have combined for less than 60 shots on goal in four of the past five meetings, including three-straight after combining for 58 shots on Nov. 18.
• The Jackets have killed off 20-of-22 Bruins power play chances in the last eight outings at Nationwide Arena since Mar. 12, 2019 (90.9 pct).

This Season (CBJ, 1-0-0)

• Nov. 18, 2024 – CBJ 5, at BOS 1
• Dec. 27, 2024 – at Columbus (7 pm ET)
• Dec. 28, 2024 – at Boston (7 pm ET)

Player Notables vs. Bruins

• G Elvis Merzlikins – 3-2-2 with a 2.38 GAA and .930 SV% in 7 career GP, including stopping 28-of-29 shots faced (.966 SV%) in the most recent meeting on Nov. 18.
• C Sean Monahan – 4-11-15 with four multi-point efforts in 19 career GP, including multiple assists in his last two games (0-5-5) after posting two in the first meeting of the season series on Nov. 18.
• D Ivan Provorov – 1-13-14 with three multi-point efforts in 3- career GP, including points in two-straight home contests (1-1-2) and three of his last four home outings (1-2-3).
• LW James van Riemsdyk – 19-19-38 with 10 multi-point efforts in 50 career GP, including a goal in the first game of the season series on Nov. 18.
• D Zach Werenski – 3-7-10 in 17 career GP, including assists in his last two outings against the club (0-2-2).

BLUE JACKETS TEAM NOTES

• Columbus has recorded points in three consecutive games (2-0-1) after earning a 5-4 win over Montreal on Monday in the final game before the holiday break.
• CBJ have recorded points in 12 of their last 14 home games (9-2-3; .750 points pct), ranking second in the NHL in goals-for at home (4.07) and fourth points pct. and power play pct. (28.2) since Oct. 22.
• The Blue Jackets’ 3.31 goals-for/game in 2024-25 ranks as the ninth-highest in the NHL.  The club averaged a franchise-best 3.15 goals-per-game during the 2021-22 season.
• The club’s 116 goals (not including SO goals) are the second-most through the first 35 games of a season in franchise history, trailing only 2016-17 (121).
• The Blue Jackets scored in all three periods in regulation in each of the last three games and have scored in 72-of-105 periods in regulation this season.  CBJ have scored in all three periods in a game 14 times this season, including 10 occasions at home.
• The club has also registered 33 multi-goal frames after scoring two goals in the first and third periods on Monday against Montreal.
• Columbus has recorded six or more goals in seven of its first 35 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 recorded four of its five goals on Monday at even strength.  The club’s 84 goals scored at 5-on-5 play are tied with Vegas and Washington for the most in the NHL.
• The Jackets have scored first in each of the last three games and have scored first in 20 (11-5-4) of the first 35 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.
• Columbus plays its first of four home-and-home series against Boston from Dec. 27-28.  The club also plays Detroit (Feb. 27-Mar. 1), Ottawa (Apr. 6-8) and Washington (Apr. 12-13) in home-and-home series.
• The Jackets also kick off their sixth of 12 back-to-back sets of the campaign – and third and final set of December – on Friday against the Bruins.
• CBJ finished 1-of-3 on the power play on Monday and have now recorded power play goals in seven of the last nine games (7-of-27; 25.9 pct.), ranking fifth in the league in PP percentage since Dec. 8.
• Columbus has allowed one power play goal over the last seven games, killing off 12-of-13 opponent opportunities since Dec. 12 (92.3 pct., 6th-T in NHL).
• The Jackets’ 37 first period goals are the fourth-most in the NHL and 43 third period goals are eighth-most.
• Columbus plays its fifth (2-2-0) of eight Friday games this season when it hosts Boston.

BLUE JACKETS PLAYER NOTES

• CBJ blueliners, who have posted 4-4-8 in the last three games, lead the league in goals and goal percentage by defensemen and rank third in points percentage and fifth in points with 25-58-83, 21.6 pct. of the club’s goals and 27.0 pct. of the team’s points in 35 contests.
• F Kent Johnson has notched points in two-straight games (1-1-2) after scoring on Monday.  He has recorded points in 15 of his first 21 games this season (10-10-20) and has already surpassed his season totals from 2023-24 in goals and points (6-10-16, 42 GP).
• RW Kirill Marchenko notched his third three-point outings on Monday, finishing with 1-2-3 and the game-winning goal.  He has registered points in a career-best six-straight games (3-6-9) and has recorded points in nine of the last 10 contests (3-10-13) and has 7-14-21 in the last 17 games since Nov. 21.  He leads the club in goals, assists, points, multi-assist and multi-point efforts with 13-24-37, seven multi-assist and 11 multi-point outings in 35 contests.  He’s already set a single-season career high in assists and is five points from tying his career high (42, 2023-24).
• C Sean Monahan notched his fourth game of three or more points this season – and second in the last three contests – with three assists vs. Montreal on Monday.  He has picked up 5-15-20 with six multi-point efforts in his last 20 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 11-20-31 and nine multi-point outings in 35 contests.
• RW Mathieu Olivier has recorded points in three-straight (1-2-3) and four of the last six (1-3-4) after collecting an assist against Montreal.  He has already set single-season career highs in goals and points (tied, 2022-23) and ranks third in the NHL in penalty minutes and sixth in hits with 9-6-15, 62 PIM and 125 hits in 35 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.
• C Cole Sillinger has recorded 4-8-12 in his last 19 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 (tied) with 6-14-20 in his first 34 outings.
• F Dmitri Voronkov collected his second-straight multi-point outing (2-2-4) and fifth multi-point effort of the season with two goals on Monday vs. Montreal.  He has recorded points in five consecutive games (3-4-7), one shy of his career best recorded Nov. 18-Dec. 1 (4-4-8).  He has registered 9-9-18 with five multi-point efforts in his last 20 contests after starting the campaign with 1-0-1 in the first six.
• D Zach Werenski registered his second three-assist outing (2-3-5 on Nov. 21 vs. Tampa Bay) on Monday against the Canadiens.  He has recorded points in 16 of the past 22 games (8-18-26).  The 27-year-old Grosse Pointe, Michigan native leads the NHL in TOI/GP and ranks fifth-T in shots on goal as well as leads league blueliners in goals (tied) and shots on goal, while ranking third in points and fifth-T in assists with 11-24-35 and 124 shots on 26:30 of ice time in 35 contests this season.  He surpassed Nick Foligno (334 points in 599 GP) for fourth on the team’s all-time scoring list with his first assist on Monday and has 101-236-337 in 521 career games with CBJ.

BLUE JACKETS MILESTONES

• LW Zach Aston-Reese is nine points from 100 for his NHL career (46-45-91, 344 GP).
• C Sean Monahan is one game from 800 for his NHL career (255-314-569, 799 GP).
• C Cole Sillinger is six points from 100 for his CBJ/NHL career (38-56-94, 254 GP).

OhioHEALTH INJURY REPORT

• F Boone Jenner (shoulder) is on Injured Reserve on Oct. 7; (35 Games)
• D Erik Gudbranson (upper body) is on Injured Reserve on Oct. 16; (32 Games)
• C Yegor Chinakhov (upper body); is on Injured Reserve retroactive to Nov. 27 (14 Games)
• F Justin Danforth (lower body); (7 Games)
• D Dante Fabbro (lower body); (3 Games)

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 138

COURTESY BLUE JACKETS COMMUNICATIONS