Did you miss anything from the past week at The Hockey News - Columbus Blue Jackets? If you did, we have you covered with the Sunday Recap. Click on each card below to read the stories from the past week.
NEWS & NOTES
Lindstrom was given the No. 24 spot on THN's rankings. The 2024 fourth-overall pick appeared in 31 games during this season with Michigan State University, where he recorded three goals, seven assists, 10 points, and 94 penalty minutes. Injury trouble has slowed down his development early on, but the 20-year-old forward still has a ton of potential and time to grow his game. The potential for him to be a big part of the Blue Jackets' roster in the future is there.
The 2026 AHL All-Star Del Bel Belluz has played in 53 games for the Cleveland Monsters this season. He's scored 22 goals and totaled 57 points. His 35 assists are 17th in the AHL, while his 57 points are tied for 6th best.
"John & Matty's lives were defined by their generosity, kindness, and love for their community and family," said parents Jane and Guy Gaudreau. "Family was everything to them. Through this event and the Foundation, we have the opportunity to continue the good work they would have done - supporting the causes that mattered most to them and touching the lives of those who need it most."
The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled forward Zach Aston-Reese from the Cleveland Monsters today.
Aston-Reese last played for the CBJ on January 20th against Ottawa. He was put on waivers for the purpose of assigning him to the Monsters. He cleared and has been there ever since.
Jane Gaudreau: We hope everyone feels the love and appreciation that we have for every person who participates, whether in person or virtually. We are so grateful for all the support people have shown our family. I don’t think people realize how much they have helped us through our unimaginable loss. We hope people know that, to us, they are part of something much bigger than a 5K. They are part of honoring our boys, keeping their memory alive, and helping their legacy continue.
The CBJ have lost one player in each of the last four games, dating back to last Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens. The losses of Damon Severson, Mathieu Olivier, and Isac Lundeström are particularly devastating, as each player has his own unique skillset. Their loss has already been felt.
"The glove to the face is one thing. He kind of slew-footed me and kicked the legs out from under me, and I think that's a dirty play. I'm not a fan of that. The ref came up to me after and was like, 'I watched the replay after, yeah, it's a slew foot, I should've called a penalty,' but it's too late at that point. He's (Aho) not a dirty player by any means, but I thought that was a dirty play."
In 53 games this season with Cleveland, Del Bel Belluz has recorded 22 goals, 35 assists, and 57 points. He also has four goals and nine points in his last seven AHL games alone.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced that defenseman Damon Severson has had surgery to repair the injured shoulder suffered against the Montreal Canadiens. He will officially be out for the rest of the season.
In 38 games with the Penguins since the trade, Chinakhov has recorded 17 goals, 13 assists, 30 points, and a plus-4 rating. This was after the 2020 first-round pick had just three goals and three assists in 29 games for the Blue Jackets before the trade.
GAME PREVIEWS & RECAPS
Denton Mateychuk (12) and Cole Sillinger (8) scored the goals for Columbus in what can only be described as a clunker of a loss by the Columbus Blue Jackets to the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night. To be fair, this was the first BAD loss of the Rick Bowness era. Goaltender Elvis Merzlikins, despite giving up three goals, didn't play too badly in the 3-2 loss.
Series History vs. The Bruins
- Columbus is 17-18-10 all-time, and 10-8-5 at home vs. Boston.
- CBJ have earned points in eight of the last 11 games against Boston at Nationwide Arena since Dec. 27, 2016 (6-3-2).
- The home team has won three-straight games and earned points in 19 of the last 23 meetings dating back to Nov. 10, 2016 (15-4-4).
- The winning team has scored four goals or more in five consecutive meetings overall and eight times in the last 10 matchups, as well as each of the past four at Nationwide Arena.
- The winning team has won by multiple goals in seven-straight contests in the series and nine of the past 10 meetings, along with by three-plus in each of the past four at Columbus.
- The Blue Jackets are 17-of-81 on the power play (21.0 pct.), and 58-of-68 on the penalty kill (85.3 pct.) against the Bruins in 23 all-time meetings at Nationwide Arena.
Stop me if you've heard this before - The Columbus Blue Jackets blew a 3-goal third-period lead.
Boone Jenner (11), Mason Marchment (18), and Charlie Coyle (18-PPG) scored the goals for Columbus, while Jet Greaves stopped 35 of 38 Bruins shots, including 3 of 5 on the power play, in a stunning 4-3 shootout loss to the Boston Bruins on Sunday night.
Series History vs. The Hurricanes
- Columbus is 30-31-0-5 all-time, and 17-14-0-2 at home vs. Carolina.
- The home team has won eight-straight meetings and 12 of the last 14 games dating back to Feb. 25, 2022.
- Columbus has won four consecutive games at Nationwide Arena and five of the past seven in Ohio since Jan. 7, 2023.
- The winning team has scored four-plus goals in each of the past seven contests (including SO goals) and 15 of the past 17 since Oct. 23, 2021.
Kirill Marchenko(26) and Adam Fantilli(22) scored the goals for the Blue Jackets, while Jet Greaves stopped 26 of 30 Hurricanes in a 5-2 loss on Tuesday night.
This game was ugly at times. When the Canes went up 2-0 with just under five minutes left in the 1st period, fans could tell they were in for a long night.
Series History vs. The Hurricanes
- Columbus is 30-32-0-5 all-time, and 13-17-0-3 on the road vs. Carolina.
- Carolina's victory on Tuesday snapped a streak of eight-straight wins for the home team in the series. The home team has now won 12-of-15 meetings dating back to Feb. 25, 2022.
Denton Mateychuk (13) scored the only goal for the Blue Jackets in a 5-1 drubbing at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night. Elvis Merzlikins stopped 16 of 21 Carolina shots in the loss.
Next Up For Columbus: The Blue Jackets are in Detroit to take on the Red Wings on Tuesday.
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