Game Preview: Home-And-Home With New Jersey Concludes As Blue Jackets Welcome Devils To Columbus For First Time This Season

By Ed Francis on January 8, 2022 at 8:59 am
Jesper Bratt's power play goal early in the third period Thursday was the game-winner for the New Jersey Devils in their 3-1 win over Columbus.
©Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
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New Jersey Devils
NEW JERSEY DEVILS
14–16–5 (33 points; .471%)
ROSTER / SCHEDULE

7:00 P.M. – SATURDAY, JANUARY 8
NATIONWIDE ARENA 
COLUMBUS, OH

BALLY SPORTS OHIO
ESPN+ (Out of Market)

The Columbus Blue Jackets and New Jersey Devils kicked off a home-and-home Thursday in Newark, and the Blue Jackets looked much better than they had in their two previous games.

It didn't matter on the scoreboard.

The Blue Jackets lost 3-1, their third consecutive loss and fifth defeat in the last six games. It sent Columbus below .500 for the first time this season and put them into 7th place in the metropolitan division. 

When the two teams conclude the home-and-home Saturday at Nationwide Arena, the Blue Jackets will not only be looking to get back to .500 but will also be seeking their first win of the new year. 


CBJ SEASON STATS NJ
3.09 GOALS FOR 2.89
3.56 GOALS AGAINST 3.37
15.7% POWER PLAY 14.9%
76.1% PENALTY KILL 82.0%
29.3 SHOTS FOR 31.6
35.0 SHOTS AGAINST 30.7
50.1% FACEOFF WINS 47.5%
54.7% MONEYPUCK'S ODDS TO WIN 45.3%
59.0% THE 538'S ODDS TO WIN 41.0%
79.4 82-GAME POINT PACE 77.3

RE: NEW JERSEY

Thursday wasn't Mackenize Blackwood's best start of the season — the Devils goaltender has two shutouts this season, including a 42-save shutout against the New York Islanders in November — but a handful of key stops from the 25-year-old were paramount in New Jersey's win.

Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt both scored Thursday and combined for five points in the win. Bratt leads the team with 32 points, but Hughes' three-point night gave him 20 points in just 18 games. The duo will again be one that the Blue Jackets will need to keep at bay if Columbus wants to avoid losing consecutive games to the Devils for the first time since the 2014-15 season.

 


STORYLINES

  • "WE CAN DEFINITELY BUILD ON IT."
    That was the quote from Max Domi after the loss Thursday, and he's right. Without the play of Blackwood, who came in as the third star of the game, the Blue Jackets likely pick up at least one point and maybe two. He'll have the tough task of needing to be even better between the pipes Saturday if the Devils want to pick up another win.
     
  • TOO MUCH BALANCE?
    Jack Roslovic was the only Blue Jacket skater without a shot on goal Thursday. That kind of balance can be good, but getting the puck in the hands of the playmakers on a more regular basis is better than balance. Laine, despite the solid game and a team-leading 0.30 expected goals, couldn't bury the biscuit. Oliver Bjorkstrand, however, had just one shot on goal in over 20 minutes of time on ice. The Blue Jackets are 4-0 in games where Laine has scored this season, and 6-1 in games where Bjorkstrand has done so. Let's get those guys going.

PROJECTED LINES*

LW C RW
29 Patrik Laine 38 Boone Jenner 14 Gus Nyquist
93 Jakub Voracek 19 Liam Foudy 28 Oliver Bjorkstrand
59 Yegor Chinakhov 7 Sean Kuraly 16 Max Domi
50 Eric Robinson 96 Jack Roslovic 52 Emil Bemstrom
LD RD
44 Vladislav Gavrikov 22 Jake Bean
46 Dean Kukan 27 Adam Boqvist
32 Jake Christiansen 2 Andrew Peeke
Starting Goalie Backup
70 Joonas Korpisalo 30 Jean-Francois Berube

*SUBJECT TO CHANGE

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