The Blue Jackets are in Detroit to play the Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena tonight.
When the NHL released the schedule last Summer, I can almost guarantee that no one who follows either team thought that this game and the Stadium Series game on Saturday at Ohio Stadium would mean so much. Both teams currently occupy the wild card spots, with Columbus having a two-point edge over Ottawa and Detroit four points clear of the Senators. Ottawa lost on Wednesday night, which helped both Columbus and Detroit.
New Jersey also lost last night, which means the CBJ are currently six points back, with a chance to cut it to four tonight.
Ideally, the Columbus Blue Jackets would like to take all four points in the next two games, but with Detroit clinging to a playoff spot, you better believe they will come out swinging tonight in Detroit.
Buckle up!
Red Wings Stats
- Power Play – 29.2% - 2nd in NHL
- Penalty Kill – 69.6% - 32nd in NHL
- Goals For – 168 – 19th – 2.90 GPG – 18th
- Goals Against – 181 – 22nd – 3.12 GPG – 22nd
Series History vs. The Red Wings
- Columbus is 20-28-7 on the road and 46-54-15 in 115 all-time games against Detroit.
- The Jackets are 1-5-1 in the last 7 against the Red Wings
Who To Watch For The Red Wings
- Alex DeBrincat leads the Wings with 26 goals. He also has 25 points in 21 games vs. Columbus.
- Lucas Raymond leads Detroit with 41 assists and 63 points.
- Goalie Cam Talbot is 17-11-3 with a SV% of .905.
- Alex Lyon is 11-6-1 with a SV % of .902.
CBJ Player Notes vs. The Red Wings
- Zach Werenski has 18 points in 23 games against Detroit.
- James van Riemsdyk has 23 points in 35 games.
- Damon Severson has 11 points in 26 games vs. the Red Wings.
Injuries
- Erik Gudbranson (upper body) is on Injured Reserve on Oct. 16 (55 Games)
- Yegor Chinakhov (upper body) is on Injured Reserve (37 Games)
- Sean Monahan (upper body) is on Injured Reserve retroactive to Jan. 7 (17 Games)
- Kevin Labanc (lower body) is on Injured Reserve as of Feb. 21 (2 Games)
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 249
How To Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FanDuel Sports Network. Steve Mears 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.
*The Game will be simulcast on the following stations (markets): FOX 28 (Columbus), WKRC 12.2 CW (Cincinnati), WUAB 43.1 CW (Cleveland), WKEF 22.3 MyTV (Dayton), WQCW 30.1 CW (Charleston, WV/Huntington, WV/Portsmouth, OH), WKYT 27.2 CW (Lexington, KY), and WAVE 3.2 Bounce (Louisville, KY).
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