By Joe Coopersmith

MAR. 17, 2025 II NATIONWIDE ARENA II VS. NEW JERSEY DEVILS

BROADCAST INFORMATION

TV*:  FanDuel Sports Network        

Steve Mears (play-by-play), John Davidson (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)

* Game will be simulcast on the following stations (markets):  CW 53 (Columbus), WKRC 12.2 CW (Cincinnati), WUAB 43.1 CW (Cleveland), WKEF 22.3 MyTV (Dayton), WQCW 30.1 CW (Charleston, WV/Huntington, WV/Portsmouth, OH), WKYT 27.2 CW (Lexington, KY), WAVE 3.2 Bounce (Louisville, KY).

Devils to Watch

• LW Jesper Bratt, who has racked up 2-7-9 during a three-game points streak, ranks fourth in the NHL in assists and ninth in points with 19-60-79 in 68 contests in 2024-25 and has posted 5-11-16 in 23 career outings vs. CBJ.
• C Nico Hischier leads the Devils in goals and ranks third in points with 28-24-52 in 62 games and has totaled 6-9-15 in 22 career appearances against Columbus.

All-Time Series

• Columbus has gone 29-20-4 in 53 all-time games against the Devils, including 17-10-0 at home.
• The Blue Jackets snapped the Devils three game win streak at Nationwide Arena earlier this season with a 4-2 victory on Dec. 19.
• The winning team has recorded four-plus goals in five consecutive meetings and nine of the last 11 overall since Jan. 8, 2022 as well as eight of the past nine at Nationwide Arena since Jan. 15, 20219.
• Four of the past five games in the series, and the last three-straight, have been decided by multiple goals.
• Columbus has scored a power play goal in five of the last six home games in the series (5-of-18; 27.8 pct.).
• CBJ have killed off 15-of-17 New Jersey power play attempts over the last six meetings (88.2 pct.).

This Season (CBJ, 1-1-0)

• Dec. 19, 2024 – at CBJ 4, NJD 2
• Mar. 11, 2025 – at NJD 5, CBJ 3
• Mar. 17, 2025 – at Columbus (7 pm ET)

Player Notables vs. Devils

• F Zach Aston Reese – 2-7-9 in 23 career GP, including an assist in the last game at Nationwide Arena on Dec. 19.
• LW Yegor Chinakhov – 4-1-5 in 8 career GP, including points in three of his last four contests overall (2-1-3) as well as points in all three outings at Nationwide Arena (2-1-3).
• C Adam Fantilli – 0-3-3 in 6 career GP, including an assist in the most recent meeting on Mar. 11.
• C Boone Jenner – 11-9-20 in 35 career GP, including an assist in the contest on Mar. 11 and 3-6-9 in his past nine home appearances against the club.
• RW Kirill Marchenko – 2-2-4 in 8 career games played, including points in both games of the 2024-25 season series (1-2-3).
• RW Mathieu Olivier – 2-1-3 in 7 career GP after scoring two goals in the most recent matchup on Mar. 11.
• D Ivan Provorov – 5-16-21 in 37 career GP, including a goal in his last home contest vs the Devils on Dec. 19.
• D Zach Werenski – 4-5-9 in 23 career GP, including points in both contests of the 2024-25 season series (1-1-2).

BLUE JACKETS TEAM NOTES

• The Blue Jackets dropped a third-straight game, and second consecutive outing in regulation at home for the first time this season with a 4-0 loss to the NY Rangers on Mar. 15.
• Columbus began a stretch of six-of-eight games against Metropolitan Division opponents in a win at Madison Square Garden on Mar. 9 (NYR-2, NJD-2, PIT, NYI).  The only two non-division games are against Vegas (Pacific) on Thursday and Florida (Atlantic) on Mar. 20.
• The team has collected points in 22 of the last 34 contests overall since Dec. 19 (19-12-3, 41 points).  The Jackets rank eighth in the NHL in goals-for per game (3.24), 11th-T in wins and points percentage (.621) and 12th-T in points over that stretch.
• The club is 20-8-4 at home in 2024-25 (44 points), posting the second-most wins (tied, 2008-09) and points in the first 32 home games of a campaign in franchise history (22-9-1, 45 pts in 2016-17).
• Columbus, which plays the third of a four-game homestand on Monday, boasts the best goals-for per game average (3.81), while also ranking seventh in power play pct. (27.0) and eighth in points pct. (.688) at home this season.
• CBJ have earned points in 23 of the past 29 home contests (19-6-4) to lead the NHL in goals-for at home (3.86) and rank fourth in power play pct. (28.8) and seventh in points pct. (.724) since Oct. 22.
• The club’s 213 goals (not including SO goals) are the most through the first 66 games of a campaign, surpassing the 212 scored in 2021-22.
• The Blue Jackets are averaging a franchise-best 3.23 goals for per game (3.15 in 2021-22), which ranks eighth in the NHL.
• Columbus has had 16 of its games decided after regulation (11 in OT), tied for sixth-most games in the NHL.
• CBJ have scored in all three periods in regulation 23 times this season (17 times at home) after scoring in each period at the NY Rangers on Sunday.  Last season, the club scored in all three periods 20 times (10 times at home).
• Columbus’s 12 games with six or more goals are tied with Washington and Winnipeg for most in the league this season and have set a new club record for a single season (11, 2018-19).
• The club’s 154 goals scored during 5-on-5 play are the second most in the league in 2024-25, trailing only Washington (162).
• The team has scored first in 38 (24-9-5) of the first 66 contests this season.  CBJ are tied with Tampa Bay for third in the NHL in games scoring first and percentage of games scoring first (57.6 pct.).
• Columbus ranks sixth-T in the league with eight shorthanded goals in 2024-25.
• CBJ ranks 10th in the NHL in first period goals scored (63), seventh in second period goals (75) and 12th in third period goals scored (71) in 2024-25.
• The Jackets play their fifth (3-1-0) of six Monday games when they host the Devils.  The club has won both of its Monday contests at home in 2024-25 (Oct. 28 vs. Edmonton, Dec. 23 vs. Montreal).

BLUE JACKETS PLAYER NOTES

• Five Blue Jackets have reached the 20-goal plateau in 2024-25 (RW Kirill Marchenko – 25, C Adam Fantilli – 21, F Kent Johnson – 21, F Dmitri Voronkov – 20, and D Zach Werenski – 20), which is tied for the most in a season in franchise history (2018-19).
• CBJ lead the league in goals and rank second in goal percentage, fourth in points and points percentage and seventh-T in assists with 43-118-161, 20.2 pct. of the club’s goals and 28.2 pct. of the team’s points in 66 contests.
• C Adam Fantilli has recorded points in eight of the past 11 outings (6-5-11) and 13 of the past 19 contests since Jan. 22 (10-9-19).  The 20-year-old leads the club in goals and ranks second in assists (tied) and points as well as leads CBJ forwards in TOI and has collected points in 20 of 28 contests since Jan. 1 (14-13-27, 19:24).  He has already set single-season career highs with 21-21-42 in 66 appearances in 2024-25.
• C Boone Jenner has picked up assists in six of his 10 contests this season (0-9-9) since making his 2024-25 debut on Feb. 22 vs. Chicago.
• F Kent Johnson has recorded points in eight of the past 11 outings (5-5-10), 16 of the past 20 contests (9-10-19), 17 of the last 22 contests (10-11-21) and 20 of the last 27 games (11-13-24).  The 22-year-old has recorded points in 36 of his 52 games this season and has set a single-season career high in goals, assists (tied) and points with 21-24-45.  He ranks third in the NHL in goals/60 minutes (min. 20 GP; 1.48), trailing only Buffalo’s Tage Thompson (1.94) and Washington’s Alex Ovechkin (1.51).
• RW Kirill Marchenko has collected points in 11 of his last 17 games (7-6-13), 17 of his past 24 contests (9-11-20), 25 of the last 34 games (15-20-35) and 28 of the past 38 (15-23-38).  The forward ranks fourth-T in the NHL in plus/minus rating, leads the club in goals and ranks second in assists, points, multi-assist and multi-point efforts in 2024-25 with 25-37-62, +31, nine multi-assist and 15 multi-point outings in 63 contests.  He has already set single-season career highs in goals, assists and points (23-19-42, 2023-24) and is the first player in franchise history with 20-plus goals in three-straight campaigns to start their career.
• RW Mathieu Olivier has registered 5-2-7 in the past nine contests, including his second multi-goal effort of the campaign with two goals on Mar. 11 at New Jersey.  He has already set single-season career highs and ranks second in the NHL in hits and penalty minutes with 15-10-25, 120 PIM and 248 hits in 66 games.  He is one of three NHL players (Florida’s Sam Bennett & Ottawa’s Brady Tkachuk) with 10-plus goals and 80 penalty minutes in 2024-25.
• LW James van Riemsdyk has recorded 6-7-13 in the past 19 contests.  He has also registered 10-11-21 and five multi-point outings in the last 28 contests and is fourth in the NHL in points/60 minutes during 5v5 play since Jan. 1 (min. 15 GP, 3.35; 8-10-18).
• D Zach Werenski has posted 2-5-7 with three multi-point efforts in seven contests in March.  He has also notched points in 21 of his last 31 contests overall since Dec. 23 (9-28-37).   The Grosse Pointe, Michigan native leads the NHL in TOI/GP as well as leads league blueliners in even strength goals, even strength points and shots on goal and ranks second in goals, assists, points and power play goals (tied) with 20-49-69, 14-31-45 at even strength, five PPG and 229 shots on 26:58 of ice time in 65 contests this season.  He has already set single-season franchise records for goals (tied; Werenski, 20 in 2019-20), assists (Werenski, 46 in 2023-24) and points (Jones, 57 in 2017-18; Werenski, 57 in 2023-24) by a defenseman.  With his next assist, he’ll become the fifth different player in club history with 50 assists in a campaign (Panarin-2x, Gaudreau, Voracek, Whitney).

BLUE JACKETS MILESTONES

• LW Zach Aston-Reese is six points from 100 for his NHL career (46-48-94, 375 GP).
• F Boone Jenner is eight goals from 200 for his NHL career (192-181-373, 725 GP).
• G Elvis Merzlikins is 10 wins from 100 for his NHL career (90-97-34, 235 GP).

OhioHEALTH INJURY REPORT

• D Erik Gudbranson (upper body) is on Injured Reserve on Oct. 16; (63 Games)
• C Sean Monahan (upper body); is on Injured Reserve retroactive to Jan. 7 (25 Games)
• RW Kevin Labanc (shoulder); is on Injured Reserve on Feb. 21 (10 Games)
• C Cole Sillinger (upper body); is on Injured Reserve on Feb. 27 (7 Games)
• D Jake Christiansen (upper body); (1 Game)

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 283

COURTESY BLUE JACKETS COMMUNICATIONS