By Joe Coopersmith

JAN. 16, 2025 II NATIONWIDE ARENA II VS. SAN JOSE SHARKS

BLUE JACKETS TEAM NOTES

• The Blue Jackets won for a season-high sixth-straight game and have now recorded points in 11 of their past 13 contests overall since Dec. 19 (10-2-1) following tonight’s win over the Sharks.  The last time Columbus won six consecutive games was from Jan. 11-22, 2020.
• CBJ have collected points in 15 of the last 17 home contests (12-2-3) following the win.
• The Jackets finished the 2024-25 season series against the Shark with a 1-0-1 record.  The club has posted points in six-straight games against the club (5-0-1) and have won the past four games played at Nationwide Arena.
• Columbus killed off all seven San Jose power plays this season after stopping three tonight.
• Columbus recorded the first goal tonight and has scored first in 11 of the last 13 games and in 28 (18-6-4) of the 45 games this season.
• The club has recorded 152 goals (not including SO goals) in the first 45 games this season.  It’s the most goals scored through the opening 45 contests of a campaign in franchise history, surpassing the 146 scored in the 2018-19 season.
• Columbus has scored goals in 95-of-the-135 periods played in regulation this year after scoring in all three periods for the 19^th time this season (15^th time at home) and for the eighth time in the last 13 contests (seventh time in the past nine at home).
• The Jackets scored twice in the first period for their 40^th multi-goal frame of the season.
• Tonight’s attendance was 15,943.

BLUE JACKETS PLAYER NOTES

• C Adam Fantilli (11-12-22, 45 GP) scored tonight to stretch his career-high points streak to seven games (4-4-8).  He is the second Jackets skater to post a seven-game points streak before age-21, following LW Rick Nash (8 GP in 2003-04).
• LW Kent Johnson (12-13-25, 31 GP) scored and collected an assist for his sixth multi-point effort of the season.  He has registered 2-3-5 in the past six contests.  The forward has posted 2-4-6 in five career matchups against San Jose with 1-3-4 in his two career games at Nationwide Arena against the club.
• C Sean Kuraly (4-7-11, 45 GP) picked up an assist and has 1-1-2 in his past four games this season.  He has now tallied 2-3-5 in 11 career games against the Sharks and has points in three-straight matchups (2-1-3).
• RW Kirill Marchenko (18-31-49, 45 GP) registered an assist for points in six-straight games (2-5-7) and has tallied 5-7-12 in his last 10 games played.  His helper tonight gives him 2-1-3 in six career contests against the Sharks with points in three of his past four games.  He also improved to 7-1-1 in his last nine outings since Dec. 19.
• G Elvis Merzlikins (16-10-3) made 18 saves on 19 shots (.947 SV%) to pick up his fourth-straight win and sixth in his last seven starts this season.
• D Damon Severson (6-13-19, 42 GP) collected an assist for the second time in the past four games (0-2-2).
• RW James van Riemsdyk (8-9-17, 38 GP) scored twice for his second multi-goal effort of the season (1/2/25 vs. DET, 2-1-3) and has collected 4-4-8 in his past seven games this season.  His fourth multi-point game of the season improves him to 6-5-11 in 24 career games against San Jose with 5-2-7 in his past nine contests against the club.
• D Zach Werenski (15-36-51, 45 GP) assisted on Fantilli’s first period goal and has registered points in seven of his last eight contests overall (4-8-12).  He extended his franchise record home points streak to 18-straight games (12-23-35), tying Brian Leetch (18 GP in 1991-92) for the sixth-longest home points streak by a defenseman in NHL history.  His streak is also the 10^th-longest in the NHL in the last 30 years at any position.  He has posted 4-3-7 in 13 career games against the Sharks, recording points in three of his last four meetings (1-2-3) and points in five of his six career home games against the club (3-3-6).

BLUE JACKETS POST-GAME AUDIO INTERVIEWS

HC Dean Evason | F Kent Johnson | G Elvis Merzlikins | D Zach Werenski

SHARKS POST-GAME AUDIO INTERVIEWS

HC Ryan Warsofsky | G Alexandar Georgiev | F Tyler Toffoli | D Marc-Edouard Vlasic

BLUE JACKETS UPCOMING SCHEDULE

Friday, Jan. 17                 No practice

Saturday, Jan. 18            7pm at New York Rangers (Madison Square Garden)

Sunday, Jan. 19               No practice

Monday, Jan. 20              7:30pm at New York Islanders (UBS Arena)

COURTESY BLUE JACKETS COMMUNICATIONS