Gameday Guide: Jan. 26 vs. Calgary

Things are starting to look up for the Blue Jackets when it comes to player availability.
With Adam Boqvist being activated from NHL COVID protocol today, the Blue Jackets now are without a player in protocol for the first time in more than a month. With just Justin Danforth and Daniil Tarasov on injured reserve, this is about as close as a full roster as any team in the NHL is likely to have at this point in a season.

Getting back on the ice will be nice for Boqvist, who has proved to be an interesting piece this year for the Blue Jackets. Before missing the last three games, he was in the midst of a run in which he had a 6-7-13 line in the past 17 games and had moved into the top 10 among NHL defensemen with seven goals on the season.

Boqvist said COVID hit him relatively hard compared to others on the team -- he spent a few days in bed -- but is excited to get back into a game for the first time since Jan. 15.
"Obviously you want to play every game," Boqvist said. "You never want to be hurt or out. You want to help the team win any way you can, and you can't do that from up top. I don't try to think about it too much, I'm just trying to think about the good things and I'm happy I'm back now."
He seems likely to skate on the third pair tonight with Jake Bean, as head coach Brad Larsen has noticed throughout the past month that it does take players some time to get back into the swing of things when they come back from the COVID time off.
"There's only so much you can do in practice," Larsen said. "You're limited. We do as much as we can, but playing the game is playing the game. Conditioning can be a factor in those things. You skate, but it's the bump and grind, the intensity of the game.
"That's one of the biggest things that nobody talks about is your mind is plugged in for two and a half hours, three hours."

3 Keys to the Game

Find some offense: The Blue Jackets skated four lines that have the potential to score in Tuesday's practice; can enough of them get going to snap a run of just seven goals in the last four games.
Special special teams: Over the last eight games, the CBJ power play is operating at just 9.5 percent, but the penalty kill is at 89.3 percent. Can both get going at the same time?
Handle their top line: The trio of Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk and Elias Lindholm has been one of the best in the NHL this season. You can't let them beat you, especially with last change.

Notable

After notching his team-best 16th goal of the season Friday, captain Boone Jenner has a 4-3-7 line in the last seven games but saw his six-game point streak end in Sunday's loss. … Alexandre Texier has a 9-9-18 line in the last 26 games. ... Gustav Nyquist has a 6-5-11 line in the last 12 games and four multipoint contests in the last eight. He also has four shorthanded goals on the season, first in the NHL. … Zach Werenski's 26:31 of average time on ice is third in the NHL. ... Jakub Voracek is tied for fourth in the league with 22 primary assists. … Max Domi is two goals from 100 and six assists from 200 in his NHL career. ... The Blue Jackets have trailed in 10 of their 18 wins this year and have five wins when trailing after two periods, tied with Florida for most in the NHL. … The Blue Jackets went 0-1-1 vs. Calgary in 2019-20, with the last game a 3-2 win for the Flames in overtime on March 4, 2010 in the Saddledome. Columbus is 32-22-7 all-time in the series but 0-3-1 in the last four plus 1-4-0 in the last five in Nationwide Arena.

Projected Lineup

(Subject to change)
Patrik Laine - Boone Jenner - Gus Nyquist
Max Domi - Cole Sillinger - Oliver Bjorkstrand
Jakub Voracek - Jack Roslovic - Alexandre Texier
Eric Robinson - Sean Kuraly - Yegor Chinakhov
Zach Werenski - Andrew Peeke
Vladislav Gavrikov - Dean Kukan
Jake Bean - Adam Boqvist
Elvis Merzlikins (confirmed starter)
Joonas Korpisalo
Scratches:Emil Bemstrom, Gavin Bayreuther, Gabriel Carlsson
Injured Reserve:Justin Danforth (left knee sprain; six weeks as of Dec. 31); Daniil Tarasov (lower body; out indefinitely as of Jan. 4)
Taxi squad: None
COVID protocol: None
Roster Report:The only change to the CBJ lineup will see Boqvist return after coming out of COVID protocol, as he enters the lineup for Bayreuther.

This Day in CBJ History

Jan. 26, 2007: The Blue Jackets acquired LW Curtis Glencross, C Zenon Konopka and a conditional seventh-round pick in either the 2007 or 2008 draft from Anaheim in exchange for RW Joe Motzko, C Mark Hartigan and a fourth-round pick in the 2007 draft.