Gameday Preview: Blue Jackets at Blues

BLUE JACKETS (0-2-0) at BLUES (0-0-0)

BLUE JACKETS vs. SENATORS
GAME INFO
COLUMBUS: 18-19-1, 5th in Metropolitan
OTTAWA: 11-20-3, 7th in Atlantic
NATIONWIDE ARENA, 6 p.m. ET
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BROADCAST INFO
TV: Bally Sports Ohio, ESPN+
You can listen to the game on the and the CBJ app
BY THE NUMBERS
CBJ Player Statistics
Senators Player Statistics
NHL Standings

What They're Saying

Before the Blue Jackets began the campaign, Zach Werenski was asked about the tough schedule the team will face to kick things off.
"It's definitely not easy, but I think that's the best way to do it is jump right in and see what we have," the defenseman said. "I think you can learn from mistakes and learn from those games for the rest of the season. I think it's good we're gonna play some good teams right off the bat and see where we're at."
So far, the answer has been not quite as good as Carolina and Tampa Bay, with the two teams combining to outscore the Jackets by a 9-3 margin as Columbus has dropped the first two games of the season.
But one also must remember the Hurricanes have made the playoffs four straight times and are considered legitimate Stanley Cup contenders, while Tampa Bay is the three-time defending Eastern Conference champ and two-time Stanley Cup winner.
It's been a tough challenge to start the season, and it's not going to get any easier as the Blue Jackets trip to take on a St. Louis team tonight that also won a playoff series a season ago (all three foes thus far made the final eight last year). In all, nine of the first 12 games will be played against teams that made the postseason in 2021-22; six of them will be against foes that won a round last year.
And while Larsen was generally OK with how the Jackets played against Carolina, he was less enthused about the team's play last night in the home opener. Could a quick fix be in store?
"We're gonna find out because we're going into St. Louis to face a rested team," he said of the Blues, who are yet to play this season. "They're gonna be pretty amped up. If we don't up our compete level, our execution, it's going to be a long night."

Know The Foe: St. Louis Blues

Head coach:Craig Berube (Fifth season)
2021-22 stats:Goals per game: 3.77 (3rd) | Scoring defense: 2.92 (11th) | PP: 27.0 percent (2nd) | PK: 84.1 percent (5th)
The narrative:The 2019 Stanley Cup winners are the last team to make their season debut, as tonight's game will be the opener for St. Louis. The Blues are coming off a solid season in which they were in the top 10 in most statistical categories for most of the season and made it to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs before being ousted by eventual champion Colorado.
2021-22 leaders: St. Louis was all about depth last season, as 11 different players finished with at least 40 points. Vladimir Tarasenko led the way with team-high totals of 34 goals and 82 points in 75 games, while Robert Thomas was next with a team-best total of 57 assists among his 77 points. Pavel Buchnevich added a 30-46-76 line while Jordan Kyrou had a breakout season with 75 points. Ten different Blues had at least 16 goals, a list that also included Ivan Barbashev, Brayden Schenn, Ryan O'Reilly, David Perron, Brandon Saad and Justin Faulk.
In net, Jordan Binnington is coming off a season in which he had an 18-14-4 record, 3.13 GAA and .901 save percentage.
What's new:The Blues will roll with much of the same core this season, though the goalie that made the most starts on the team, Ville Husso, is now with Detroit. Perhaps the biggest edition is from within, as top prospect Jake Neighbors is expected to begin the season with the club after being chosen in the first round of the 2020 draft.
Trending:The Blue Jackets are 3-2-1 in the last four seasons against the Blues, splitting the season series a year ago with the home team winning each game. The Enterprise Center generally hasn't been kind to the team, though, as Columbus has 11 wins in 45 games in the shadow of the Gateway Arch.

3 Keys to the Game

Be a goldfish: Larsen generally wasn't pleased by the way the Jackets played Friday night, terming it "not good enough" in his postgame press conference. The good news? You can wash away that bad taste pretty quickly with a good showing tonight.
Handle the swings: Hockey games on the road are about managing momentum and being able to get through the ups and downs. That's especially key in St. Louis, a place the Jackets have had some struggles in recent years. It'll be a big part of this game.
Finish: The Blue Jackets have created some pretty good chances in the first two games but have only three goals to show for it. It's easier said than done to bear down and finish, but a few goals would certainly have to loosen up the grip on some sticks in the early going.

3 Stats to Know

• This is the second half of the first back-to-back for the Blue Jackets this season. Columbus will play 16 back-to-backs this season.
• Two Blue Jackets players notched their first points last night -- Johnny Gaudreau tallied a goal in the first period while Erik Gudbranson had an assist later in the frame.
• Gaudreau is one assist away from 400 in his NHL career, while Kuraly is two points from 100.

Who's Hot

Gaudreau, who finished tied for second in the NHL a year ago with 115 points, scored his first goal as a Blue Jacket last night. … Yegor Chinakhov led the NHL with six preseason goals. … Five returning CBJ veterans set career highs in points last year -- Werenski (48), Jack Roslovic (45), Vladislav Gavrikov (33), Sean Kuraly (30) and Eric Robinson (27).

This Day in CBJ History

Oct. 15, 2000: David Vyborny takes the first penalty shot in team history and scores on Rob Tallas, the lone CBJ goal in a 2-1 loss at Chicago.

Roster Report

Projected Lineup (subject to change)
Johnny Gaudreau - Boone Jenner - Justin Danforth
Yegor Chinakhov - Jack Roslovic - Jakub Voracek
Gustav Nyquist - Cole Sillinger - Kent Johnson
Eric Robinson - Sean Kuraly - Mathieu Olivier
Zach Werenski - Adam Boqvist
Vladislav Gavrikov - Andrew Peeke
Jake Bean - Erik Gudbranson
Elvis Merzlikins
Daniil Tarasov
Scratches: Liam Foudy, Nick Blankenburg
Injured reserve: Patrik Laine (sprained elbow; three to four weeks as of Oct. 13); Joonas Korpisalo (hip, day to day); Joona Luoto (lower body, day to day)
Roster Report: Larsen said the Jackets will use the same lineup with the exception of Merzlikins making his first start of the season.