By Joe Coopersmith

DEC. 14, 2024 II NATIONWIDE ARENA II VS. ANAHEIM DUCKS

BROADCAST INFORMATION

TV:  FanDuel Sports Network

Steve Mears (play-by-play), Jody Shelley (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)

Ducks to Watch

• G Lukas Dostal has posted a 6-8-3 record with a 2.69 GAA, .920 SV% and 528 saves in 17 games for Anaheim this season, ranking fifth in the NHL in SV% (min. 10 GP).
• RW Troy Terry, who has posted three-straight 20-goal campaigns, leads the Ducks in goals, assists and points with 8-14-22 in 28 outings in 2024-25 and has notched 4-8-11 in eight career games against CBJ.

All-Time Series

• Columbus has gone 31-29-8 in 68 all-time meetings vs. the Ducks, including 16-13-4 at home.
• CBJ have earned points in two of the last games of the series (1-1-1).
• The winning team has scored four or more goals in five of the last six games of the series.
• Five of the past eight games played at Nationwide Arena have been decided after regulation (3-OT, 2-SO).
• The Jackets have recorded power play goals in three of the last four meetings of the series (4-of-15; 26.7 pct.).
• The Blue Jackets have not given up a power play goal in the last 16 games of the overall series since Feb. 11, 2016, killing off all 41 power play attempts.
• Five of the last six games of the series have been decided by multiple goals following a stretch of five-straight one-goal games from Nov. 4, 2018-Dec. 9, 2021.
• The home team has recorded points in five of the last seven games of the series since Dec. 9, 2021 (3-2-2) as well as 14 of the past 19 dating back to Oct. 24, 2014 (11-5-3).
• CBJ own four of the seven shutouts in the all-time series, including the most recent one by Sergei Bobrovsky on Oct. 28, 2016 in a 4-0 win at Anaheim (35 saves).

This Season (CBJ, 0-1-0)

• Nov. 10, 2024 – at ANA 4, CBJ 2
• Dec. 14, 2024 – at COLUMBUS (7 pm ET)

Player Notables vs. Ducks

• C Adam Fantilli – 1-1-2 in 2 career GP, notching his first career multi-point outing in his lone home game against the club on Oct. 24, 2023.
• RW Kevin Labanc – 7-8-15 in 28 career GP, including, 1-4-5 with two multi-point efforts in his last five contests.
• C Sean Monahan – 9-14-23 with five multi-point efforts in 34 career GP, including 2-4-6 in his last seven contests overall as well as assists in his last two home outings (0-3-3) and points in four of his past five home contests (3-5-8).
• D Ivan Provorov – 3-3-6 in 14 career GP, including points in three of his past four home outings (1-2-3).
• D Damon Severson – 1-6-7 in 17 career GP, including 0-4-4 in his last four home appearances against Anaheim.
• D Zach Werenski – 6-3-9 in 13 career GP, including points in two-straight contests (2-1-3).

BLUE JACKETS TEAM NOTES

• The Blue Jackets collected a point on Thursday against the Eastern Conference-leading Washington Capitals (2-1 OTL).  The club has earned points in nine of its last 14 games (7-5-2, 16 points), ranking fourth in the NHL in goals per game (3.57, 50) and fifth-T in points since Nov. 15.
• The team closes out a three-game homestand on Saturday against Anaheim.  CBJ are in a stretch of 6-of-9 games played at home from Dec. 10-27.
• The club is 8-4-2 (18 points) at Nationwide Arena this season.  The eight wins are two shy of the franchise record through the first 14 home games of a season (2016-17, 2017-18, 2021-22), while the 18 points are three shy of the record (10-3-1, 2016-17 and 2021-22).
• CBJ have recorded points in nine of their last 11 games played at Nationwide Arena (7-2-2), outscoring their opponents 45-34 over that stretch (not including SO goals).  The Jackets rank second in the NHL in goals per game (4.09) and fourth-T in points percentage (.727) at home since Oct. 22.
• Columbus has recorded six or more goals in seven of its first 29 games this season.  It’s tied for the second-most games among all teams (Florida & Washington), trailing only Winnipeg (9).  It’s the fifth time in franchise history that CBJ have scored at least six goals in seven or more contests in a campaign.  The club set a franchise mark with 11 games of six or more goals in 2018-19.
• The club’s 96 goals (not including SO goals) are the third-most through the first 29 games of a season in franchise history, trailing the 100 recorded to start the 2018-19 campaign and 97 in 2016-17.
• Columbus’ 3.31 goals-for/game in 2024-25 is tied for the seventh-highest in the NHL (New Jersey).  The club averaged a franchise-best 3.15 goals-per-game during the 2021-22 season.
• CBJ have scored a goal in all three periods in regulation in six of the last 11 games, including tying a franchise record with goals in 16-straight regulation periods from Nov. 18-Dec. 1 (Feb. 2-13, 2021).  The Jackets have scored in 59-of-87 periods in regulation this season and have registered 27 multi-goal frames.
• Columbus’ 69 goals scored at 5-on-5 play are tied for the third-most in the NHL this season (Tampa Bay), trailing only Washington (76) and Vegas (71).
• The Jackets, who have scored the first goal of the game in 10 of the last 17 contests, have scored first in 17 (9-5-3) of the first 29 games this season.
• The Blue Jackets play 11-of-12 games against the Eastern Conference from Dec. 10-Jan. 2 (Dec. 14 vs. ANA).  The club is also in a stretch of 4-of-6 contests played against Metropolitan Division foes from Dec. 10-19 (PHI-2, CAR-1, NJD-1).
• CBJ have recorded power play goals in three-straight games (3-of-9; 33.3 pct.) for the first time this season.
• The team plays its fifth of 12 back-to-back sets of the season – and second of three in the month of December – when it hosts Anaheim on Saturday and visits Carolina on Sunday.
• Columbus also plays its seventh (2-4-1) of 21 Saturday games when it hosts Anaheim.  The Jackets play 10 Saturday home games this season (1-1-0).

BLUE JACKETS PLAYER NOTES

• CBJ leads the league in goals and goal percentage by defensemen and rank third in points percentage and fifth in points with 21-51-72, 21.9 pct. of the club’s goals and 28.2 pct. of the team’s points in 29 contests.
• F Kent Johnson stretched his points streak to three-straight (3-2-5, two multi-point efforts) with an assist on Thursday.  He has recorded points in 12 of his first 15 games this season (9-8-17), including all eight of his contests at Nationwide Arena (4-7-11).
• RW Kirill Marchenko, who had his three-game assists streak (0-3-3) snapped on Thursday, has recorded 4-7-11 in the last 11 games.  The forward leads the club in goals (tied) and multi-point efforts and ranks second in assists and points with 10-17-27 and eight multi-point outings in 29 contests.  He is already two assists shy of tying his single-season career high (19, 2023-24) and has registered 5-12-17 in 14 home games.
• C Sean Monahan has recorded points in three-straight outings (1-2-3) and has picked up 3-11-14 with four multi-point efforts in his last 14 games after recording an assist on Thursday.  The forward ranks second-T on the club in multi-point outings and third in goals (tied), assists and points with 9-16-25 and seven multi-point outings in 29 contests.
• RW Mathieu Olivier has already set a single-season career high in goals and ranks third in the NHL in penalty minutes and sixth in hits with 8-3-11, 54 PIM and 104 hits in 29 games.  He is one of two players (Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa) with five-plus goals, 40 PIM and 75 hits in 2024-25.
• D Damon Severson has collected points in three of his last five games (2-1-3).  He has also registered 2-6-8 in the last 11 contests dating back to Nov. 21.  He ranks eighth-T among NHL defensemen in goals and second among club blueliners in goals, assists and points with 6-10-16 in 29 contests.
• C Cole Sillinger has recorded 2-8-10 in his last 13 contests since Nov. 15.   A season after setting a single-season career high in assists (19), he ranks fourth on the club in assists with 4-14-18 in his first 28 outings.
• F Dmitri Voronkov has notched 6-5-11 with three multi-point efforts in his last 14 games.
• D Zach Werenski has recorded power play goals in two-straight games (2-0-2) and points in three consecutive (2-1-3) after scoring his 100^th career goal on Thursday.  He has recorded points in 13 of the past 16 games (7-14-21).  The 27-year-old Grosse Pointe, Michigan native, who was named to Team USA for the 4 Nations Face-Off on Dec. 4, leads the NHL in TOI/GP and league blueliners in goals and shots on goal while ranking third in points and seventh-T in assists with 10-20-30 and 102 shots on 26:10 of ice time in 29 contests this season.  With 100-232-332 in 515 games played, he’s tied Rostislav Klesla for third on the club’s all-time games played list for defensemen, became the first blueliner – and eighth player – in CBJ history with 100 career goals and now sits two points shy of tying Nick Foligno (334 points in 599 GP) for fourth on the team’s all-time scoring list.

BLUE JACKETS MILESTONES

• LW Zach Aston-Reese is 11 points from 100 for his NHL career (46-43-89, 338 GP).
• RW Kirill Marchenko is six points from 100 for his CBJ/NHL career (54-40-94, 166 GP).
• C Sean Monahan is seven games from 800 for his NHL career (253-310-563, 793 GP).
• RW Mathieu Olivier is three games from 200 for his NHL career (21-24-45, 197 GP).
• C Cole Sillinger is two games from 250 and eight points from 100 for his CBJ/NHL career (36-56-92, 248 GP).
• F Dmitri Voronkov is five games from 100 for his CBJ/NHL career (25-21-46, 95 GP).

OhioHEALTH INJURY REPORT

• F Boone Jenner (shoulder) is on Injured Reserve on Oct. 7; (29 Games)
• D Erik Gudbranson (upper body) is on Injured Reserve on Oct. 16; (26 Games)
• C Yegor Chinakhov (upper body); is on Injured Reserve retroactive to Nov. 27 (8 Games)
• F Justin Danforth (lower body); (1 Game)

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 109

COURTESY BLUE JACKETS COMMUNICATIONS