Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Detroit Red Wings Preview
The Columbus Blue Jackets will host the Detroit Red Wings tonight at Nationwide Arena in a matchup filled with tension, given the teams’ recent performances. The Red Wings, currently struggling, hold a record of 4 wins, 4 losses, and 2 overtime losses over their last 10 games. Despite this, they managed to snap a four-game losing streak with a victory against the Boston Bruins earlier this week.
This game is especially noteworthy as Detroit previously faced Columbus on November 22, where they came back to win after the Blue Jackets squandered a 3-1 lead in the third period, clinching the game with a goal just 1 minute and 50 seconds into overtime.
Recent Performances
On the other side, the Blue Jackets are coming off an impressive win against the New Jersey Devils, where a total of four fights and 74 penalty minutes highlighted the intensity of the match. Columbus rallied from an early 2-0 deficit, scoring three times in the third period to secure a thrilling victory.
Currently, the Blue Jackets occupy the 8th spot in the Metropolitan Division, placing them 13th overall in the Eastern Conference and 19th in the entire NHL, with a season record that indicates room for improvement.
Team Statistics
In terms of statistics, Columbus has struggled with their power play, ranking 23rd in the NHL with a success rate of 16.4%. Their penalty kill is only slightly better at 28th with a rate of 74.2%. They have netted 75 goals this season, putting them at 24th position in the league, while their defense has allowed 84 goals, resulting in a 20th place ranking.
Conversely, the Red Wings show a stronger power-play percentage at 21.6%, placing them 11th in the NHL, while their penalty kill stands at 79.5%, ranking them at 23rd. Detroit has scored 80 goals this season, ranking 14th overall, but has given up 92 goals, which puts them near the bottom at 28th.
Historical Matchup
Historically, the matchup between these two teams has been competitive. Columbus has an all-time record of 48 wins, 52 losses, 1 tie, and 15 overtime losses against the Red Wings, though they are slightly better at home with 27 wins against 24 losses. In their last five meetings, the Blue Jackets hold a record of 2-1-2 against Detroit and have performed better in recent encounters, winning 29 out of the last 47 games against them.
Key Players
Key players to watch for the Red Wings include Patrick Kane, who has accumulated an impressive 88 points in his career against Columbus. Dylan Larkin leads the team with 14 goals and has amassed 30 points this season, while Lucas Raymond tops the team’s assists with 20.
In net, Cam Talbot stands with a record of 9-4-1 and has a save percentage of .888, although his last appearance was on November 29. In contrast, John Gibson is at 5-7-1 with a save percentage of .868, last playing on December 2 against Boston.
For the Blue Jackets, Zach Werenski has tallied 22 points in 26 games against Detroit, while Charlie Coyle has 14 points across 31 games, and Sean Monahan has earned 17 points in 22 matchups.
Injury Concerns
Injury concerns mar the Blue Jackets’ lineup, with Erik Gudbranson on IR due to an upper body injury, missing 18 games; Boone Jenner, also with an upper body injury, has missed 10 games and could potentially return this week; Mathieu Olivier and Kirill Marchenko are both dealing with injuries and have missed multiple games, adding to the team’s challenges this season, with a total of 47 man games lost to injuries.
