Game Preview: Blue Jackets, Now Last In Eastern Conference, Look To End Five-Game Losing Streak When Ducks Visit Tuesday

By Ed Francis on December 16, 2025 at 12:05 pm
Now last in the Eastern Conference, the Columbus Blue Jackets aim to end a five-game losing streak Tuesday when the surprising Anaheim Ducks come to town.
© Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
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ANA   CBJ
9-8-1 ROAD / HOME 6-5-3
3.45 GOALS FOR 2.88
3.27 GOALS AGAINST 3.47
18.3% POWER PLAY 19.0%
81.3% PENALTY KILL 73.9%
30.9 SHOTS FOR 30.4
29.3 SHOTS AGAINST 31.3
46.2% FACEOFFS 50.2%
ANAHEIM: LAST THREE GAMES 
THU, 12/11 @ Islanders L, 5-2
SAT, 12/13 @ Devils L, 4-1
MON, 12/15 @ Rangers W, 4-1
ANAHEIM: TEAM LEADERS
GOALS Cutter Gauthier 18
ASSISTS Leo Carlsson
Troy Terry
24
POINTS Leo Carlsson 41
ODDS & PROJECTIONS
 CBJ WIN PER MONEYPUCK: 56%
CBJ ODDS PER BETMGM: -140

A three-game homestand concludes Tuesday night for the Columbus Blue Jackets when they welcome the Anaheim Ducks to town for their only visit of the season.

The Blue Jackets enter this one in desperate need of a win, having now lost five straight games and settling into a tie for last in the Eastern Conference. 

Here are five things to know before the 7:00 p.m. puck-drop:

  • Anaheim is one of just four teams with 20+ wins this season, with a current record of 20-12-1. ... This is the final game of a five-game road trip for the Ducks. They're 2-2-0 so far. It's also the second half of a back-to-back for them, and their third game in four days. ... This is a breakout season for Leo Carlsson, who was picked one spot ahead of Adam Fantilli in the 2023 NHL Draft. His 17 goals and 24 assists in 33 games have him on pace for a 102-point season.
     
  • Jet Greaves will start for Columbus. His 2.75 goals against average this season is significantly better than his expected GAA of 3.43, according to MoneyPuck. The +0.68 difference puts him 17th out of 59 goalies with 10+ appearances this season. Elvis Merzlikins, at -0.27, ranks 52nd.
     
  • It's a milestone night for Zach Werenski, who will play his 600th NHL game. Only Boone Jenner (759), Rick Nash (674) and Cam Atkinson (627) have more games played. Werenski continues to sizzle this season, and is on pace for a career-high 85 points.
     
  • With a loss tonight, the Blue Jackets would match their longest losing streak of the calendar year. They dropped six straight in March, picking up one point in an overtime loss during that stretch. 
     
  • Expect more line changes in this game, based on Monday's practice. Here are the complete projections:
LW C RW
10 Dmitri Voronkov 19 Adam Fantilli 86 Kirill Marchenko
38 Boone Jenner 23 Sean Monahan 59 Yegor Chinakhov
11 Miles Wood 3 Charlie Coyle 4 Cole Sillinger
21 Isac Lundestrom 16 Brendan Gaunce 91 Kent Johnson
LD RD
8 Zach Werenski 5 Denton Mateychuk
9 Ivan Provorov 78 Damon Severson
7 Brendan Smith 15 Dante Fabbro
Starting Goalie Back-Up
73 Jet Greaves 90 Elvis Merzlikins
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