The Blue Jackets finally get to their third game of the season on Friday night, and they’ll do it at Nationwide Arena against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Columbus comes in at 1-1-0 with two points, sitting sixth in the Metro and 13th in the East. Pittsburgh arrives at 2-2-0 with four points, fifth in the division and 10th in the conference.
The game is set for 7:00 PM ET in Columbus and will air on the Blue Jackets Hockey Network, with radio coverage on 97.1 FM.
For Columbus, the big names are back in the mix. Damon Severson and Cam Talbot are both part of the night’s setup, and the hope is simple: get a win.
Pittsburgh, meanwhile, made a roster move before the matchup, sending forward Filip Hallander to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for defenseman Spencer Stastney.
On the numbers, the teams bring different strengths into the night. Pittsburgh’s offense has been sharp, averaging 3.54 goals per game, good for third in the league, while Columbus sits at 3.00 goals per game, 19th. The Blue Jackets have been better defensively, allowing 3.06 goals per game compared to Pittsburgh’s 3.15.
The special teams split also favors the Penguins on paper. Pittsburgh’s power play is clicking at 24.1 percent, seventh in the league, and its penalty kill is at 81.4 percent, sixth. Columbus enters with an 18.9 percent power play, 22nd, and a 76.0 percent penalty kill, 28th.
At five-on-five, the clubs are close. Pittsburgh owns a 50.2 percent shot attempt share and Columbus is at 51.1 percent.
Their unblocked shot attempt percentages are nearly identical at 50.5 percent apiece. The finishing and goaltending numbers tilt in different directions: Pittsburgh is converting 11.1 percent of its five-on-five shots, while Columbus sits at 9.1 percent.
In net, Columbus has the edge with a .911 five-on-five save percentage, compared to Pittsburgh’s .901.
The lineup picture gives Columbus a top six built around Matthew Knies, Adam Fantilli and Kent Johnson on the first line, with Valeri Nichushkin, Sean Monahan and Dmitri Voronkov behind them. The third line features Cole Sillinger, Charlie Coyle and Mattieu Olivier, while Ryan Lomberg, Danton Heinen and Connor Garland make up the fourth.
On defense, Columbus is expected to roll Zach Werenski with Damon Severson, Carson Soucy with Denton Mateychuk, and Emil Andrae with Erik Gudbranson. Cam Talbot is projected to start, with Jet Greaves backing him up.
Pittsburgh’s top line is set with Rickard Rakell, Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust. Egor Chinakhov, Tommy Novak and Evgeni Malkin are listed together on the second line, followed by Hendrix Lapierre, Ben Kindel and Ville Koivunen, and then Connor Dewar, Blake Lizotte and Nick Robertson.
The Penguins’ blue line is projected to feature Declan Carlile with Erik Karlsson, Sam Girard with Kaedan Korczak, and Trevor van Riemsdyk with Kris Letang. Sergei Murashov is listed as the starter, with Arturs Silovs as the backup.
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The projected group reflects a team trying to work around a few absences while keeping its structure intact, and the scratches and injured reserve list only sharpen the focus on how Bowness wants this one played. For Columbus, the lineup watch matters just as much as the result against St. Louis, because the choices on the sheet can hint at where the coach sees stability and where he still needs answers. [Read more 🡒]