Gameday Preview: Blue Jackets vs. Stars

The Details

BLUE JACKETS vs. STARS
GAME INFO
COLUMBUS: 10-18-2, 8th in Metropolitan
DALLAS: 18-8-6, 1st in Central
NATIONWIDE ARENA, 7 p.m. ET
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What They're Saying

The Blue Jackets hung with three of the top teams in the conference on this past road trip, and while the final combined score was 12-3 in favor of the home teams, Columbus felt it played pretty good hockey for stretches.
The opening loss against Florida featured a number of goalposts hit and chances created, while the Jackets then played with Tampa Bay and Boston deep into the game only to have those veteran teams put it out of reach in the final minutes.
That's the difference in some ways between teams that have been there and done that vs. Columbus, which dressed seven players with less than 100 games of NHL experience and is still trying to find its way.
There are some things to build on for the future as those young players gain experience, but that doesn't make the present any easier to get through.
"I'm so disappointed for them because there's been several games where we've put in a lot of good minutes here," head coach Brad Larsen said. "It's a couple of moments that's hurting us. That's the frustrating part. You're putting a lot into these games and not getting any results."
The biggest issue in the last three games came in the area of goal scoring. The Blue Jackets totaled 13 goals in their last three home games before leaving Columbus, then finished with just three tallies in the trio of contests away from home.
The level of competition had a lot to do with it, and with so many young players, the Blue Jackets will have to learn what it takes to break down defenses of top teams.
"We need to score more goals to win," Jenner said after the Boston game. "We have to help our goalies out by putting a fewin the net. We weren't able to do that enough on this trip."

Gameday Update

Unfortunately, the CBJ injury list got longer this afternoon as Jenner was placed on injured reserve and will undergo surgery on a thumb injury.
The Blue Jackets morning skate featured a new look down the middle, then, with 2021 first-round pick Kent Johnson moved up to the top line between Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine.
A rookie who is in the top 10 in the NHL among first-year players in goals (six) and points (14), Johnson has largely played wing this year as he's gotten used to the NHL level. Now, the 20-year-old with 36 NHL games under his belt will play between two of the top offensive players in the league.
"It's awesome," he said. "They're obviously unreal players. If I can get them the puck in good spots, it should be pretty good for us."
The defensive end of the ice and faceoffs will be a challenge for Johnson, but he has played plenty of center growing up and should be used to the position. The hope is he'll grow into that spot as he gains experience, and with the injuries, the time to try it is now.
"I definitely feel confident," Johnson said. "It's obviously a different position. Playing center in the defensive zone is something that's a little new, but from exhibitions, how I felt there, the other two zones, how I'm feeling, it should be pretty good."

Know The Foe: Dallas Stars

Head coach:Peter DeBoer (1st season)
Season Stats:Goals per game: 3.63 (4th) | Scoring defense: 2.75 (6th) | PP: 25.8 percent (8th) | PK: 83.5 percent (3rd)
The narrative: After taking on three of the East's best last week, the Blue Jackets don't get a reprieve in the schedule as Dallas comes to town boasting a squad that has excellent at both ends of the ice this season. Dallas has had an up-and-down stretch in recent seasons -- the team has just five playoff appearances in the last 14 seasons, but did make the Stanley Cup Final in 2020 -- but this group of young stars and veteran leaders might just be the right mix for the Stars to make noise this postseason.
2022-23 leaders: Any discussion of the Stars has to begin with Jason Robertson, the 23-year-old wing from California that has matured into one of the game's best players over the past two seasons. Coming off a 41-goal campaign, Robertson has 23 tallies to place third in the league this year, while his 46 points are fifth. Roope Hintz adds a 13-22-35 line while Joe Pavelski continues to get the job done at age 38 with 11 goals among his 31 points. Jamie Benn adds 13-16-29 while Miro Heiskanen tops the defense with a 5-20-25 line.
In net, the Stars might just have a, well, star on their hands in Jake Oettinger. Coming off a breakout season that included a postseason showing that nearly stole the team's opening-round series vs. Calgary, Oettinger is 12-4-3 in 22 games this year with a 2.42 GAA and .920 save percentage.
What's new:Dallas brought in reinforcements this year sensing big things could be in the offing; Mason Marchment (9-10-19) has helped add depth to the lineup after a breakout year in Florida, while Colin Miller (plus-16) has strengthened the defense. Youngsters Ty Dellandrea (5-9-14) and Wyatt Johnston (7-5-12 at just 19 years old) also add more excitement to a team that seems set for a long run of success.
Trending: The teams split last year's season series with each team winning at home. The year prior, the squads were in the same division, with the Jackets posting a 3-4-1 record vs. Dallas during the pandemic-shortened campaign. Columbus had won eight in a row before that, so the Jackets are actually 12-5-1 in the last 18.
Former CBJ:None

3 Keys to the Game

Home cooking: From having last change with a young team to being in a friendly setting, the Blue Jackets have to take advantage of being back in Nationwide Arena, where they have won two straight.
Power-play success: Columbus is coming off a loss at Boston that featured a pair of man-advantage goals, which can be huge for a team that's struggling to get wins.
Just keep going: Losing is tough mentally, but the Jackets haven't played bad hockey in the past few games. They just have to stick with it, even with the injuries that continue to pop up.

3 Stats to Know

• With 14 assists in the last 13 games, Gaudreau is tied for third in the NHL in assists in that span.
• Laine has 19 goals, including two hat tricks, in 26 career games vs. Dallas. Laine also has seven goals in nine games since returning from injury, plus four multipoint games in that span (7-4-11).
• Milestone watch: With six assists in the last eight games, Jack Roslovic is three helpers from 100 for his NHL career (63-97-160, 336 GP) as well as seven points from 100 for his CBJ career (37-56-93, 156 GP).

Who's Hot

Gaudreau has a 4-14-18 line in his last 13 games and a 5-19-24 mark in the last 18. … Jenner had a 10-8-18 line in 20 games before going on injured reserve. … With six goals and 14 points, Johnson is tied for fifth and ninth, respectively, among NHL rookies. … Kirill Marchenko's second goal of the season Thursday gives the Jackets 19 players with multiple goals this season. ... Columbus has three wins in overtime this year, and Vladislav Gavrikov has scored two of the winning goals and assisted on the other.

This Day in CBJ History

Dec. 19, 2002: Marc Denis stops all 29 shots he sees in his second shutout with the Blue Jackets, a 3-0 home triumph over Calgary.
Dec. 19, 2003: Rick Nash scores his 20th goal of the season in just the Jackets' 31st game of the season, a 2-1 setback vs. Calgary. It remains the fastest a CBJ player has gotten to 20 goals in a season, and Nash would go on to tie for the NHL lead that season with 41 in his second NHL campaign.
Dec. 19, 2015: Five days after making his NHL debut, Joonas Korpisalo posts his first career win against Philadelphia in Nationwide Arena. Korpisalo stops 30 shots in regulation/overtime and five more attempts in a shootout as Brandon Dubinsky scored the deciding goal in a 3-2 CBJ win.
Dec. 19, 2019: Boone Jenner ties the game with 1:43 to play and Pierre-Luc Dubois scores 1:11 into overtime to give the Blue Jackets a 3-2 win over Los Angeles in Nationwide Arena.

Roster Report

Projected Lineup (subject to change)
Johnny Gaudreau - Kent Johnson - Patrik Laine
Gustav Nyquist - Jack Roslovic - Yegor Chinakhov
Eric Robinson - Sean Kuraly - Kirill Marchenko
Carson Meyer - Liam Foudy - Mathieu Olivier
Vladislav Gavrikov - Marcus Bjork
Tim Berni - Erik Gudbranson
Jake Christiansen - Andrew Peeke
Daniil Tarasov
Elvis Merzlikins
Scratches:Josh Dunne, Cole Sillinger (upper-body injury, day to day), Gavin Bayreuther
Injured reserve:Adam Boqvist (broken foot, currently skating in practice); Joonas Korpisalo (lower body injury, out at least a week as of Dec. 10); Boone Jenner (thumb surgery, out four weeks as of Dec. 19); Nick Blankenburg (ankle, out six to eight weeks as of Nov. 11); Jake Bean (shoulder, out four to six months after surgery in November); Jakub Voracek (upper body, out indefinitely); Zach Werenski (shoulder surgery, out for season); Justin Danforth (shoulder surgery, out for season)
Roster Report: The Blue Jackets will be without Jenner and Sillinger, with Foudy and Meyer going in during morning skate, while Tarasov will make a third straight start. This lineup would leave Columbus with seven skaters and a starting goalie with fewer than 50 games of career NHL experience.