Columbus Blue Jackets vs. San Jose Sharks Preview
The Columbus Blue Jackets are set to host the San Jose Sharks in their first of three consecutive home games at Nationwide Arena. Currently boasting a record of 38 wins, 23 losses, and 11 overtime losses (87 points), the Blue Jackets are looking to build on their recent home performance. They recently completed a three-game road trip, managing only one win, culminating in a narrow 2-1 defeat to the Montreal Canadiens. Each of those road games was tightly contested, ending with a differential of just one goal.
Sharks’ Struggles and Blue Jackets’ Strengths
The Sharks, on the other hand, come into the matchup with a record of 32-21-7 (71 points) and have struggled recently with two wins in their last ten outings (2-6-2), including a six-game losing streak. Currently ranked 6th in the Pacific Division, they are aiming to improve their standing by turning around their fortunes on the road.
Columbus has been particularly strong at home, achieving points in their last 12 games on home ice (9 wins, 3 overtime losses), which ties the club’s franchise record for the longest consecutive home points streak, a feat last matched between February 11 and March 31, 2013. In this calendar year, they’ve performed impressively, collecting points in 24 out of the last 28 games overall (20-4-4) since January 11th. Significantly, they’ve also limited opponents to two or fewer goals in eight of their past nine games, ranking third in goals against average across the NHL with 2.43 GA per game.
Key Players to Watch
The Blue Jackets are in the midst of a pair of back-to-back matchups, facing off against the Sharks today and the Boston Bruins tomorrow. Players to monitor for the Blue Jackets include rookie Adam Fantilli, who has made notable contributions by scoring 9 points in his last nine games and is closing in on a personal record for points in a season. Goalie Jet Greaves has also been solid, accumulating points in 14 of his last 16 starts with a respectable goals-against average.
Columbus is nearing key milestones, as Boone Jenner approaches 800 NHL career games, while Zach Werenski has shown remarkable scoring ability, leading all NHL defensemen in points-per-game and posting multiple points in several recent games.
The Sharks, led by Macklin Celebrini, who has 35 goals and 61 assists for a total of 96 points, will be countering with their own strong players. Goalie Yaroslav Askarov has a record of 19 wins in 39 appearances this season and Ohio native Alex Nedeljkovic boasts an all-around performance.
Historical Context and Broadcast Information
Historically, the Blue Jackets have faced the Sharks 70 times, with a slight edge in wins (29-35-0-6) at home. Notably, Columbus has won four straight at Nationwide Arena against the Sharks and has been generally successful in their recent matches, including a strong showing throughout the last series. The home team has nearly always prevailed in recent times, with the last seven games featuring multiple-goal margins.
Fans can catch the action on FanDuel Sports Network, while radio coverage is available on 97.1 The Fan with Bob McElligott providing the play-by-play analysis. As the Blue Jackets seek to capitalize on their home advantage, they are hoping to extend their impressive streak and improve their playoff positioning.
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