Columbus Blue Jackets (52 pts) vs. Edmonton Oilers (78 pts) Game Preview
Yet again the Jackets will get a red-hot Edmonton Oilers team. The last time they played, the Oilers had won 13 straight, and made it 14 straight when they beat the Jackets. But now they get the Oil inside the friendly confines of Nationwide Arena, where Columbus has won 12 of the last 17.
The Oilers are on a five-game heater, so this won't be easy for the Jackets. They score a ton of goals, don't give up a ton, and have a top power play. When you have players like McDavid, Draisaitl, and Hyman, this kind of thing tends to happen. McDavid for example, has 19 points in his last 10 games and has only been held pointless 4 times since November 18th. He has 89 points in his last 47 games.
The Oilers are currently 2nd in the Pacific, 5th in the West, and 8th in the NHL.
Series History vs. The Oilers
- Columbus is 16-13-4 at home vs. Edmonton and 25-35-6 in all meetings.
- The Jackets are 3-1-0 in the last 4.
- The CBJ are 12-5-0 in the last 17 against Edmonton in games played at NWA.
- The Oilers won the last game played on Jan. 23, 2024, by a score of 4-1.
Who To Watch For The Oilers
- Connor McDavid has 99 points on the season. He has 9-20-29 in 15 career games vs. the Jackets.
- Leon Draisaitl has 80 points this season. He also has 7-10-17 in 15 career games vs. CBJ
- Goalie Stuart Skinner is 29-13-2 with a save % of .906.
- Calvin Pickard is 8-3-0 with a save % of .909. He's started and won the last two games for the Oilers.
CBJ Player Notes vs. The Oilers
- Johnny Gaudreau has 39 points in 44 career games.
- Adam Boqvist has 6 points in 5 games.
- Kirill Marchenko has 3 goals in 3 career games.
- Zach Werenski has 6 points in 9 games.
Injuries
- Patrik Laine (clavicle fracture-Dec. 14; NHL Player Assistance Program-Jan. 28); 17 games (for injury)
- Adam Fantilli (calf laceration on Jan. 28); expected to miss 8 weeks (13 games)
- Kent Johnson (shoulder injury on Feb. 28); out indefinitely (2 games)
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 199
How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on Bally Sports Ohio. As always, the legendary Jeff Rimer will be on the play-by-play. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.
More From THN Columbus
Join Jason Newland's Columbus Blue Jacket page on Bunches, a new app that connects sports fans. Also, you can watch a new YouTube game show about the Blue Jackets, Around the Fifth Line.