By Joe Coopersmith

MARCH 24, 2025 II UBS ARENA II AT NEW YORK ISLANDERS

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)

Islanders to Watch

• D Noah Dobson, with 2-5-7 over a four-game points streak, leads club blueliners in scoring with 8-26-34 in 58 contests this season.
• C Bo Horvat, who has posted points in three consecutive games (3-1-4), leads the Islanders in scoring and ranks second in goals and assists (tied) with 24-24-48 in 68 outings in 2024-25 and has totaled 12-9-21 in 21 career appearances against the Blue Jackets.

All-Time Series

• Columbus is 25-22-8 in 55 all-time games against the Islanders, including 8-15-3 on the road.
• The Islanders have won four of the past five meetings and 10 of the last 12 in the series since Mar. 10,2022 (CBJ; 2-9-1).
• The winning team has won by multiple goals in five-straight meetings.  Prior to that the winning team had won by a single goal in seven of nine games from Dec. 23, 2019-Mar. 24, 2023.
• The winning team has recorded two goals or less in three of the last seven meetings of the series.
• The Jackets have scored a power play goal in each of the last two games they’ve been awarded a PP opportunity (did not have an attempt on Oct. 30, 2024), converting on 2-of-5 chances (40.0 pct.).
• The Islanders have recorded all three hat tricks in the all-time series, while neither team has been awarded a penalty shot.

This Season (CBJ, 1-1-0)

• Oct. 30, 2024 – at CBJ 2, NYI 0
• Jan. 20, 2025 – at NYI 3, CBJ 1
• Mar. 24, 2025 – at New York (7:30 pm ET)
• Apr. 17, 2025 – at Columbus (7 pm ET)

Player Notables vs. Islanders

• C Boone Jenner – 6-8-14 in 30 career GP, including 1-1-2 in his past three contests against the Islanders.
• F Kent Johnson – 3-3-6 in 6 career GP, including points in his last two contests against the club (1-2-3) after scoring a goal on Jan. 20 at UBS Arena.
• RW Kirill Marchenko – 1-2-3 in 6 career GP, with his points in two of his past three outings against NY after picking up an assist on Jan. 20.
• C Sean Monahan – 6-8-14 in 18 career GP, including 2-3-5 with two multi-point efforts in his past four appearances against New York.
• LW James van Riemsdyk – 13-27-40 in 56 career GP, including 1-4-5 in his last five contests overall and 1-3-4 in his past five outings at New York.
• D Zach Werenski – 2-11-13 in 22 career GP, including assists two of his past four outings at the Islanders (0-2-2).

BLUE JACKETS TEAM NOTES

• The Blue Jackets fell for a sixth-straight game (0-5-1) following a 6-3 loss at Pittsburgh on Friday.
• Columbus has allowed two goals or less in two of the last three contests (0-1-1) and is 19-1-4 when allowing two goals or less in 2024-25.
• The team has collected points in 23 of the last 37 contests overall since Dec. 19 (19-14-4, 42 points).
• Monday’s contest concludes a stretch of six-of-eight games played against Metropolitan Division opponents.
• The club is 20-9-5 at home in 2024-25 (45 points), posting the third-most points and fourth-most wins in the first 34 home games of a campaign in franchise history (24-9-1, 49 pts in 2016-17).
• CBJ rank fifth-T in the NHL in goals-for per game average (3.62) and goals scored (123), eighth in power play pct. (26.0) and 10th in points pct. at home this season (.662).
• The club’s 217 goals (not including SO goals) are the third-most through the first 69 games of a campaign, trailing the 219 goals recorded in 2016-17 and 2021-22.
• The Blue Jackets are averaging 3.14 goals for per game, trailing only 2021-22 (3.15) for the highest average in a single season in franchise history, and ranks 11th in the NHL.
• Columbus has had 17 of its games decided after regulation (12 in OT), tied for seventh-most games in the NHL.
• Columbus’s 12 games with six or more goals are tied with Winnipeg for the second-most in the league this season (Washington, 13) and have set a new club record for a single season (11, 2018-19).
• The club’s 158 goals scored during 5-on-5 play are the second-most in the league in 2024-25, trailing only Washington (174).
• The team has scored first in 38 (24-9-5) of the first 69 contests this season, tied for fifth-most games scoring first.
• Columbus ranks sixth-T in the league with eight shorthanded goals in 2024-25.
• CBJ ranks 11th-T in the NHL in first period goals scored (64), seventh-T in second period goals (76) and 11^th-T in third period goals scored (73) in 2024-25.
• The Jackets play their sixth and final Monday game of the season (3-2-0) when they visit the Islanders.

BLUE JACKETS PLAYER NOTES

• Five Blue Jackets have reached the 20-goal plateau in 2024-25 (RW Kirill Marchenko – 25, F Kent Johnson – 22, C Adam Fantilli – 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 (tied, Seattle & Colorado) and rank second in goal percentage, fourth in points (tied) and points percentage and 10th-T in assists with 43-121-164, 19.8 pct. of the club’s goals and 28.1 pct. of the team’s points in 68 contests.  The 43 goals are tied for the second-most by CBJ blueliners in a single season (2014-15, 2021-22), trailing only the 51 goals recorded in 2017-18.
• C Adam Fantilli 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 31 contests since Jan. 1 (14-13-27, 19:15).  He has already set single-season career highs with 21-21-42 in 69 appearances in 2024-25.
• F Kent Johnson, who notched a goal at Pittsburgh, has recorded 6-5-11 in the past 14 outings and 12-13-25 in the past 30 contests.  The 22-year-old has recorded points in 37 of his 55 games this season and has set a single-season career high in goals, assists (tied) and points with 22-24-46.  He ranks third in the NHL in goals/60 minutes (min. 20 GP; 1.47), trailing only Buffalo’s Tage Thompson (1.84) and Washington’s Alex Ovechkin (1.50).
• RW Kirill Marchenko has collected 9-11-20 in his past 27 contests, 15-20-35 in the past 38 outings and 15-23-38 in the last 41. The forward ranks 13th 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, +30, nine multi-assist and 15 multi-point outings in 66 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.
• C Sean Monahan, who has missed the past 28 contests with an upper body injury, is the first Blue Jackets player to record 40-plus points (14-27-41) in his first 41 games with the franchise (LW Johnny Gaudreau; 12-27-39 in 41 GP).
• RW Mathieu Olivier, who collected an assist at Pittsburgh, has registered 6-3-9 in the past 11 contests.  He has already set single-season career highs and ranks second in the NHL in penalty minutes and third-T in hits with 16-11-27, 125 PIM and 260 hits in 69 games.  He is one of two NHL players (Ottawa’s Brady Tkachuk) with 10-plus goals and 90 penalty minutes in 2024-25.
• LW James van Riemsdyk has registered 10-11-21 and five multi-point outings in the last 31 contests and is fourth in the NHL in points/60 minutes during 5v5 play since Jan. 1 (min. 15 GP, 3.06; 8-10-18).
• D Zach Werenski has posted 2-5-7 with three multi-point efforts in 10 contests in March.  He has also notched points in 21 of his last 34 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 (tied), even strength points (tied) and shots on goal and ranks second in goals, points and power play goals (tied) and third in assists with 20-49-69, 14-31-45 at even strength, five PPG and 248 shots on 27:00 of ice time in 68 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 five points from 100 for his NHL career (46-49-95, 378 GP).
• F Boone Jenner is seven goals from 200 for his NHL career (193-181-374, 728 GP).
• G Elvis Merzlikins is 10 wins from 100 for his NHL career (90-98-35, 237 GP).

OhioHEALTH INJURY REPORT

• D Erik Gudbranson (upper body) is on Injured Reserve on Oct. 16; (66 Games)
• C Sean Monahan (upper body); is on Injured Reserve retroactive to Jan. 7 (28 Games)
• RW Kevin Labanc (shoulder); is on Injured Reserve on Feb. 21 (13 Games)
• C Cole Sillinger (upper body); is on Injured Reserve on Feb. 27 (10 Games)
• D Jake Christiansen (upper body); (4 Games)

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 298

COURTESY BLUE JACKETS COMMUNICATIONS