COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS VS. EDMONTON OILERS
TV: Bally Sports Ohio Jeff Rimer (play-by-play), Jody Shelley (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: 35-36-7, 77 pts. (6th, Metropolitan Division)
Goals: 3.13 Goals-For/3.64 Goals-Against… Shots: 30.0 Shots-For/35.2 Shots-Against
Power Play: 17.7 percent (24th, NHL)… Penalty Kill: 78.9 percent (20th, NHL)
Penalty Minutes: 7.7 PIM (5th, NHL)… Overtime Record (Shootout): 11-4-3 (4-3)
EDMONTON OILERS
2021-22 Record: 46-26-6, 98 pts. (2nd, Atlantic Division)
Goals: 3.47 Goals-For/3.06 Goals-Against… Shots: 34.0 Shots-For/32.0 Shots-Against
Power Play: 25.6 percent (4th, NHL)… Penalty Kill: 79.3 percent (18th, NHL)
Penalty Minutes: 8.1 (11th, NHL)… Overtime Record (Shootout): 9-5-1 (4-1)
Players to Watch: C Leon Draisaitl, the 2019-20 Art Ross, Ted Lindsay Trophy and Hart Memorial Trophy winner, ranks second in the NHL in goals and fourth in points with 54-53-107 in 77 games this season… C Connor McDavid, who has won the Art Ross and Ted Lindsay Trophy three times (2016-17, 2017-18, 2020-21), leads the League in scoring and ranks third in assists with 43-73-116 in 77 contests in 2021-22… G Mike Smith has allowed just five goals in the last four games/wins for the Oilers, posting shutouts in two of them. He owns a 2.88 GAA and .913 SV% in 27 contests this season.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Results: Columbus has gone 22-34-6 in 62 regular season games vs. the Oilers, including 14-13-4 at home… Of Note: The Oilers have won five-straight in the series since Mar. 2, 2019 after the Blue Jackets won 7-of-9 from Nov. 29, 2013-Mar. 27, 2018… The winning team has scored four-plus goals in each of the last seven meetings… Edmonton owns six of the eight shutouts in the all-time series, including the three most recent (MR: Koskinen, Mar. 2, 2019 in 4-0 win at CBJ)… CBJ have posted three of the four hat tricks in the series and all three penalty shots.
This Season (CBJ, 0-1-0)
Dec. 16, 2021 – at EDM 5, CBJ 2
Apr. 24, 2022 – at Columbus (1 p.m.)
CBJ TEAM NOTES
Columbus earned a point in its first back from the annual California road trip with a 2-1 shootout loss to Ottawa on Friday… CBJ have scored three or more goals (incl. SO goals) in 45 of their 78 games this season (32-10-3)… The club is also 29-5-1 when scoring four-plus goals in a game in 2021-22… CBJ rank eighth in the League in win percentage after regulation (11-4-3; .611)… The Blue Jackets have trailed in 22 of their 35 victories this season, including eight of their last 11 wins. The 22 comeback victories are tied for the sixth-most in the NHL and are a new single season record in franchise history (20; 2005-06, 2018-19)… CBJ boast seven 40-point producers, including three that have reached the 50-point mark… The club has four players record at least 20 goals this season. It’s tied for the second-most in a single-season in franchise history, trailing only five players with 20-plus goals in 2018-19… The Blue Jackets rank fifth-T in the NHL in goals (41) and 15th in points (167) by defensemen. The club’s defensemen have combined for 8-31-39 in the last 20 outings, posting two-plus points in 13 of those contests… Columbus has killed off 24-of-26 opponent power play attempts over the last eight games to rank fourth-T in the NHL in PK pct. since Apr. 4 (92.3 pct.)… CBJ have tied a franchise record set in the inaugural season in 2000-01 with 10 players making their NHL debut in 2021-22 (Blankenburg, Chinakhov, Christiansen, Danforth, Fix-Wolansky, Hofmann, Johnson, Meyer, Sillinger, Tarasov).
CBJ PLAYER NOTES
F Justin Danforth has notched 4-2-6 in the last 11 contests… D Vladislav Gavrikov has recorded 2-5-7 in his last 13 outings and has already set career highs in goals (tied, 2019-20), assists and points with 5-27-32 in 76 contests… F Kent Johnson, who made his NHL debut on Apr. 13 vs. Montreal, has collected assists in each of the last two games… C Sean Kuraly ranks 10th-T in the NHL with 235 hits (tied for 3th-most in CBJ history; since 2005-06). The forward has set a single-season career high in goals and points with 14-16-30 in 76 games… LW Gus Nyquist has totaled 3-9-12 in the last 16 games and 4-13-17 in his past 23 outings. He reached the 30-assist mark in a season (31) for the third time in his career… D Andrew Peeke ranks fourth in the NHL in blocked shots this season with 164 which is trails only Ryan Murray’s 171 blocked shots registered in 2015-16 for the most in a single season in club history (stat since 2005-06)… C Jack Roslovic has recorded 8-2-10 with three multi-goal efforts in the last six outings and has recorded 12-10-22, while averaging 17:41 of ice time in his last 28 outings since Feb. 24. He has set career highs in goals, assists (tied) and points with 20-22-42 in 77 games this season… C Cole Sillinger has collected 3-4-7 in his last 10 games and his 14 goals are tied for the fourth-most among CBJ rookies in a single season in franchise history… RW Jakub Voracek has registered 4-25-29 in his last 35 appearances since Jan. 31. With 5-51-56 in 75 games, he is the third player in franchise history to record 50 assists in a campaign, joining Artemi Panarin (59 in 2018-19 and 55 in 2016-17) and Ray Whitney (52 in 2002-03). His 37 primary assists (8th-T in NHL), meanwhile, are second-most in a single season in CBJ history (Panarin, 44 in 2018-19)… D Zach Werenski has recorded 2-10-12 in his last 15 games played and 5-21-24 in 31 outings since Jan. 23. The 24-year-old has also tied his single-season career highs in assists and points with 11-36-47 in 67 contests this season (11-36-47 in 78 GP in rookie campaign in 2016-17).
MILESTONES
• C Sean Kuraly is two points from 100 for his NHL career (38-60-98, 346 GP).
• LW Gus Nyquist is four points from 400 for his NHL career (163-233-396, 648 GP).
• RW Jakub Voracek is six points from 800 for his NHL career (221-573-794, 1,043 GP).
OhioHEALTH INJURY REPORT
• G Daniil Tarasov (hip; Injured Reserve on Jan. 4) is out indefinitely
• C Alexandre Texier (fractured finger; Injured Reserve on Jan. 26) is expected to miss 4 weeks
• C Boone Jenner (lower back; Injured Reserve on Mar. 11) is week-to-week
• G Joonas Korpisalo (hip) is out indefinitely
• D Yegor Chinakhov (upper body; First game missed Apr. 4) is day-to-day
• RW Patrik Laine (upper body: First game missed Apr. 17) is day-to-day
• D Zach Werenski (upper body; First game missed Apr. 19) is day-to-day
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 338
COURTESY CBJ COMMUNICATIONS
