COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS VS. ARIZONA COYOTES
TV: Bally Sports Ohio Jeff Rimer (play-by-play), Jody Shelley (color analyst), Dave Maetzold (reporter)
Radio: 105.7 FM Bob McElligott (play-by-play), Dylan Tyrer (host)
THE MATCHUP
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
2021-22 Record: 8-5-0, 16 pts. (6th, Metropolitan Division)
Goals: 3.23 Goals-For/3.08 Goals-Against… Shots: 30.7 Shots-For/34.2 Shots-Against
Power Play: 19.4 percent (15th, NHL)… Penalty Kill: 81.6 percent (15th, NHL)
Penalty Minutes: 7.4 PIM (5th, NHL)… Overtime Record (Shootout): 4-0-0 (1-0)
ARIZONA COYOTES
2021-22 Record: 2-13-1, 5 pts. (8th, Central Division)
Goals: 1.63 Goals-For/3.81 Goals-Against… Shots: 24.9 Shots-For/31.4 Shots-Against
Power Play: 16.7 percent (23rd, NHL)… Penalty Kill: 67.3 percent (30th, NHL)
Penalty Minutes: 14.3 PIM (32nd, NHL)… Overtime Record (Shootout): 0-0-1 (0-1)
Players to Watch: Three-time All-Star RW Phil Kessel has posted 393-518-911 in 1,138 career GP… D Shayne Gostisbehere leads the team in assists and points with 3-10-13 and ranks sixth-T among NHL blueliners in scoring… G Scott Wedgewood has posted a 1-3-1 record with a 2.54 GAA and .908 SV% in six games split between New Jersey and Arizona.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Results: Columbus has gone 28-28-6 in 52 regular season games vs. the Coyotes, including 12-15-4 on the road… Of Note: The teams did not meet during the 2020-21 season… Columbus went 1-1-0 vs. Arizona in 2019-20, with each team earning victories on the road (CBJ 3, at ARI 2 on Nov. 7, 2019 and ARI 4, at CBJ 2 on Dec. 3, 2019)… The Blue Jackets are 9-2-0 in the last 11 games of the series… The club has earned victories in five consecutive games at Arizona since Dec. 17, 2015 and are 6-1-0 since Jan. 2, 2014… The Blue Jackets have recorded seven of the 12 shutouts in the all-time series, including the most recent one on Dec. 9, 2017 (Sergei Bobrovsky; 35 saves in 1-0 win at CBJ).
This Season (CBJ, 1-0-0)
Oct. 14, 2021 – at CBJ 8, ARI 2
Nov. 18, 2021 – at Arizona (9 p.m.)
CBJ TEAM NOTES
The Blue Jackets snapped their first two-game losing streak of the season with a 5-3 come-from-behind victory over the Red Wings on Monday… CBJ, who have won two consecutive road games, play 7-of-9 games from Nov. 18-Dec. 4 and 13-of-17 from Nov. 18-Dec. 20 away from Nationwide Arena… Columbus is in the middle of a stretch of 10 games in 19 days from Nov. 12-30 (1-2-0)… Thursday’s contest at Arizona begins a stretch of 7-of-8 games against Western Conference teams (5-0-0 in 2021-22)… Columbus has had to comeback in six of its eight victories this season and didn’t trail at one point only against Arizona (Oct. 14) and Dallas (Oct. 25)… CBJ have posted a league-high four victories when trailing entering the third period this season (4-3-0)…. The Blue Jackets are 4-0-0 in games decided after regulation this season (3-0-0 in OT, 1-0 in SO). Last season, CBJ went 3-9 in OT and 3-3- in SO… 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 PLAYER NOTES
The Blue Jackets have had 16 different players record goals this season, while 21-of-24 skaters have recorded at least one point… RW Oliver Bjorkstrand had a point in five-straight contests from Oct. 31-Nov. 13 (2-4-6). He leads the club in scoring and multi-point outings with 5-10-15 and four multi-point efforts in 13 games… RW Yegor Chinakhov notched his first career NHL goal to tie the game at three late and added an assist for his second career multi-point effort in Monday’s game. He has 1-3-4 in the last four outings… C Boone Jenner has posted 3-2-5 in the past six games, including notching his team-leading seventh goal of the campaign in Monday’s victory. He scored eight goals in 41 outings a season ago… G Elvis Merzlikins is 6-2-0 with a 2.49 GAA and .926 SV% on the campaign and ranks 10th-T in the NHL in SV% (min. 6 GP)… C Cole Sillinger has assists in two consecutive contests and 3-3-6 in the past five outings. The 18-year-old ranks fifth-T among NHL rookies in points and sixth-T in goals with 4-4-8 in 13 contests… LW Eric Robinson (1-3-4) and C Alexandre Texier (3-1-4)have each picked up points in career-best four-straight games… RW Jakub Voracek collected an assist on Monday to stretch his point streak to a CBJ season-best six contests (1-7-8). He is ninth-T in the NHL with 1-12-13 in 13 contests… D Zach Werenski, who ranks fourth-T in the NHL in TOI/GP (26:21), is seventh-T among NHL blueliners in goals with 3-5-8 in 13 games.
MILESTONES
• RW Oliver Bjorkstrand is eight points from 200 in his NHL career (88-104-192, 315 GP).
• D Zach Werenski is three points from 200 for his NHL career (68-129-197, 348 GP).
OhioHEALTH INJURY REPORT
• RW Emil Bemstrom (left oblique strain; Injured Reserve on Oct. 14) is expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks
• D Dean Kukan (wrist fracture; Injured Reserve on Oct. 26) is expected to miss 8 weeks
• C Max Domi (COVID Protocols on Nov. 1)
• LW Patrik Laine (oblique strain; Injured Reserve on Nov. 5) is expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 38
COURTESY BLUE JACKETS COMMUNICATIONS
