COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS AT NEW YORK RANGERS
TV: Bally Sports Ohio Jeff Rimer (play-by-play), Jody Shelley (color analyst), Dave Maetzold (reporter)
Radio: 97.1 The Fan Bob McElligott (play-by-play), Dylan Tyrer (host)
THE MATCHUP
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
2021-22 Record: 4-2-0, 8 pts. (5th, Metropolitan Division)
Goals: 3.17 Goals-For/2.50 Goals-Against… Shots: 26.7 Shots-For/34.0 Shots-Against
Power Play: 26.3 percent (10th, NHL)… Penalty Kill: 81.0 percent (19th, NHL)
Penalty Minutes: 9.7 PIM (16th, NHL)… Overtime Record (Shootout): 2-0-0 (0-0)
NEW YORK RANGERS
2021-22 Record: 4-2-1, 9 pts. (3rd, Metropolitan Division)
Goals: 2.14 Goals-For/2.57 Goals-Against… Shots: 27.0 Shots-For/31.4 Shots-Against
Power Play: 11.5 percent (29th, NHL)… Penalty Kill: 78.3 percent (22nd, NHL)
Penalty Minutes: 10.0 PIM (21st, NHL)… Overtime Record (Shootout): 1-1-0 (0-0)
Players to Watch: Former Blue Jacket LW Artemi Panarin ranks fourth in the NHL in assists (311) and fifth in points (477) since making his NHL debut in 2015-16… D Adam Fox captured the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the League’s best defenseman in 2020-21 after recording 5-42-47 in 55 outings… G Igor Shesterkin has posted a 29-17-4 with a 2.55 GAA and .922 SV% in 52 games since making his NHL debut in 2019-20.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Results: Columbus has gone 19-16-5 in 40 all-time meetings, including 9-5-4 on the road… Of Note: The clubs did not meet in 2020-21… CBJ went 1-2-0 vs. the Rangers in 2019-20)… Columbus won four consecutive games at Madison Square Garden since Mar. 20, 2018 and is 6-1-0 in the last seven road games since the 2016-17 campaign… The club has picked up points in nine of the past 12 meetings overall since Feb. 26, 2017 (8-3-1)…The Blue Jackets own all three shutouts in the series with Sergei Bobrovsky posting the most recent one on Nov. 17, 2017 (2-0 W at CBJ).
This Season (CBJ, 0-0-0)
Oct. 29, 2021 – at New York (7 p.m.)
Nov. 13, 2021 – at Columbus (7 p.m.)
Jan. 27, 2022 – at Columbus (7 p.m.)
CBJ TEAM NOTES
The Blue Jackets finished off a three-game homestand (2-1-0) with a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Monday… The club improved to 4-1-0 at Nationwide Arena with the victory, setting CBJ records for the most wins and points through the first five home games of a season… Columbus kicks off a three-game road trip on Friday at New York, also playing in New Jersey on Sunday (5 pm) and at Colorado on Nov. 3 (9 pm)… CBJ are in the middle of stretch of four of five contests from Oct. 21-31 and six of nine games from Oct. 21-Nov. 13 against Metropolitan Division foes… The Blue Jackets failed to record a power play goal for the first time in five games they’ve had an attempt this season… Columbus had the youngest season-opening roster in average age at 25.71. New Jersey (25.74) was the only other team to have an average age of its roster younger than 26-years-old… CBJ also had the most diverse roster to open the season with 10 countries represented (Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Latvia, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland and the USA).
CBJ PLAYER NOTES
The Blue Jackets have had 11 different players record goals this season, while 17-of-21 skaters have recorded at least one point… RW Oliver Bjorkstrand collected his third multi-point contest of the season with a goal and an assist on Monday. He leads the club in assists and points with 3-6-9 in six games this season… C Gregory Hofmann notched his first career goal and multi-point game on Monday (1-1-2) and has 1-2-3 in his first six NHL contests… C Boone Jenner, who ranks sixth in the NHL in faceoff pct (61.9; min. 60 draws) recorded a power play goal in three-straight games prior to Monday’s contest… LW Patrik Laine collected points in the first five outings in 2021-22 (2-4-6)… G Elvis Merzlikins stopped 31-of-32 shots (.969 SV%) to improve to 4-0-0 on Monday, tying the franchise record for the longest win streak to start a season (Korpisalo, 2018-19; Bobrovsky, 2017-18).… D Zach Werenski has recorded points in four of the six games with two multi-point efforts this season (2-4-6).
MILESTONES
• C Alexandre Texier is seven games from 100 in his NHL career (13-18-31, 93 GP).
• D Zach Werenski is five points from 200 for his NHL career (67-128-195, 341 GP).
OhioHEALTH INJURY REPORT
• RW Emil Bemstrom (left oblique strain; Injured Reserve on Oct. 14) is expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks
• D Adam Boqvist (lower body) is day-to-day
• D Dean Kukan (wrist fracture; Injured Reserve on Oct. 26) is expected to miss eight weeks
COURTESY CBJ COMMUNICATIONS
