COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS VS. OTTAWA SENATORS
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: 30-27-3, 63 pts. (5th, Metropolitan Division)
Goals: 3.25 Goals-For/3.67 Goals-Against… Shots: 29.8 Shots-For/35.6 Shots-Against
Power Play: 18.3 percent (24th, NHL)… Penalty Kill: 79.2 percent (17th, NHL)
Penalty Minutes: 7.6 PIM (5th, NHL)… Overtime Record (Shootout): 10-1-2 (4-2)
OTTAWA SENATORS
2021-22 Record: 21-33-5, 47 pts. (7th, Atlantic Division)
Goals: 2.64 Goals-For/3.27 Goals-Against… Shots: 30.1 Shots-For/33.4 Shots-Against
Power Play: 18.3 percent (25th, NHL)… Penalty Kill: 79.8 percent (16th, NHL)
Penalty Minutes: 10.6 (28th, NHL)… Overtime Record (Shootout): 4-4-1 (1-1)
Players to Watch: Senators captain LW Brady Tkachuk leads the team in scoring with 20-24-44 in 56 games this season… D Thomas Chabot leads the club in assists and Sens blueliners in goals, assists and points with 6-27-33 in 43 outings in 2021-22… Former Blue Jacket G Anton Forsberg is 13-11-2 with a 2.83 GAA and .916 SV% in 29 appearances this season.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Results: Columbus has gone 15-15-3 in 33 all-time meetings, including 6-8-2 on the road… Of Note: The Senators snapped the Blue Jackets’ seven-game points streak (6-0-1) with a 2-1 regulation win in the first meeting of the season on January 23… Each of the last four meetings have been decided by a single goal (CBJ; 2-1-1) with two of them decided in overtime… CBJ have collected points in three-straight games at Ottawa since Feb. 22, 2019 (2-0-1)… The winning team has scored three-plus goals in nine of the last 12 meetings… The Blue Jackets own three of the five shutouts in the all-time series while the Senators have recorded both hat tricks and all three penalty shots.
This Season (CBJ, 0-1-0)
Jan. 23, 2022 – OTT 2, at CBJ 1
Mar. 16, 2022 – at Ottawa (7:30 p.m. ET)
Apr. 22, 2022 – at Columbus (7 p.m. ET)
CBJ TEAM NOTES
The Blue Jackets won for a second consecutive game with a 6-4 victory over Vegas on Sunday… Six of the club’s last eight games have been decided by a single goal (3-3-2), including three after regulation… The team improved to 12-6-2 (26 pts) in its last 20 games, ranking third-T in the NHL in both wins and points since January 27… The club is in the middle of a stretch of 9-of-11 contests played at Nationwide Arena from Feb. 27-Mar. 19… The club ranks third in the NHL in goals-per-game since Jan. 27 (3.85 avg)… CBJ have scored three or more goals (incl. SO goals) in 37 of their 60 games this season (27-8-2)… The club in 24-4-1 when scoring four-plus goals in a game in 2021-22, recording four-plus goals in eight of the last 13 games… CBJ rank second in the League in win percentage after regulation and are one off the lead in wins in OT/SO (10-1-2; .769)… Following Friday and Sunday’s comeback victories, the Blue Jackets have trailed in 20 of their 30 victories this season. The 20 comeback victories are the most in the NHL and tied for the most in a single season in franchise history (2005-06, 2018-19)… CBJ boast seven 30-point scorers and four 40-point producers on the team… The Blue Jackets ranks third-T in the NHL in goals (34) and 10th in points (134) by defensemen… CBJ play the 10th of 15 back-to-back sets this season at Ottawa on Wednesday and vs. Washington on Thursday. The club has collected two points in all but the first back-to-back set of the season… The Blue Jackets are 2-1-0 in Wednesday contests in 2021-22.
CBJ PLAYER NOTES
RW Oliver Bjorkstrand tied his personal best with three assists and four points in Sunday’s victory and has 5-5-10 in his last eight games. He has tallied points in 13 of the last 17 games (9-8-17)… F Max Domi has collected assists in five of his last seven games (0-7-7) after collecting two assists on Sunday… D Vladislav Gavrikov has already set single-season career highs in assists and points with 3-22-25 in 58 outings in 2021-22… C Sean Kuraly has set a single-season career high in goals and is on pace to set career highs in assists and points with 9-13-22 in 60 games (6-17-23 in 2019-20)… LW Patrik Laine has recorded points in 16 of the last 20 games (17-11-28) and ranks second in the NHL in goals and sixth in points since January 27. The winger also leads the League in overtime winners (3, tied) and ranks fourth-T in game-winners (7)… G Elvis Merzlikins became the seventh different netminder in franchise history to record 20 wins in a single season with his victory over the Wild on Friday… D Andrew Peeke has played 21-plus minutes in 25 of his last 26 games since January 13 (24:27)… RW Jakub Voracek, who missed Sunday’s game with a lower body injury, has recorded 1-10-11 in his last 12 appearances. He ranks fourth-T in the NHL in primary assists (30) and leads the club in assists overall (40). His .70 assists-per-game, meanwhile, are the second-highest in a single season in franchise-history, trailing only Artemi Panarin’s .75 A/GP when he posted a club record 59 helpers in 2018-19… D Zach Werenski has collected 4-12-16 in his last 18 games played and leads club blueliners with 10-27-37 in 54 contests this season.
MILESTONES
• RW Emil Bemstrom is five games from 100 for his NHL career (15-14-29, 95 GP).
• C Max Domi is one goal from 100 for his NHL career (99-207-306, 479 GP).
• C Sean Kuraly is 10 points from 100 for his NHL career (33-57-90, 330 GP).
• LW Patrik Laine is eight games from 400 for his NHL career (173-141-314, 392 GP).
• D Andrew Peeke is seven games from 100 for his NHL career (2-16-18, 93 GP).
OhioHEALTH INJURY REPORT
• G Daniil Tarasov (lower body; Injured Reserve on Jan. 4) is out indefinitely
• C Alexandre Texier (fractured finger; Injured Reserve on Jan. 26) is expected to miss 4 weeks
• D Adam Boqvist (upper body; Injured Reserve retroactive to Feb. 27) is day-to-day
• RW Justin Danforth (lower body; Injured on Mar. 10) is day-to-day
• C Boone Jenner (lower back; Injured Reserve on Mar. 11) is week-to-week
• RW Jakub Voracek (lower body: Injured on Mar. 11) is day-to-day
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 246
COURTESY CBJ COMMUNICATIONS
Wow that was strange. I just wrote an incredibly long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyhow, just wanted to say excellent blog!