The Columbus Blue Jackets are set to host the Tampa Bay Lightning at 7 p.m. in the third game of a five-game home stretch. The Lightning enter the game with a strong 32-13-4 record, accumulating 68 points and boasting an impressive 9-0-1 performance in their last 10 outings, currently placing second in the Atlantic Division. Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets hold a 23-20-7 record with 51 points, showing a modest 5-4-1 record over their last 10 games but struggling within the Metropolitan Division at 1-7.
Since January 11, Columbus has won five of six games, including a 1-0 victory over Dallas on Thursday, and has excelled on home ice with five wins in their last six home matches since January 3. This current homestand features eight games total, seven of which are at Nationwide Arena between January 13 and 28, where the team has a solid 3-1 record so far.
The Jackets have been strong in scoring the opening goal, doing so in 14 of their last 19 games and 17 out of 24 this season, ranking them sixth in the NHL for games scoring first. Defensively, Columbus leads the league in points generated by defensemen and ranks high in goaltending stats, including a 0.912 team save percentage, placing fifth in the NHL. Goaltender Jett Greaves has been outstanding, recording his first shutout of the season with 28 saves on Thursday and leading the league in total saves since late December.
Key players include Charlie Coyle, who is nearing 200 career NHL goals and recently became the fifth player in team history to play 1,000 games for the Blue Jackets. Boone Jenner tied for third on the club’s all-time assist list after recording three assists in the latest game. Kirill Marchenko has been productive with points in 11 of his last 15 games, and Mathieu Olivier ranks second in the NHL for hits since his return from injury. Zach Werenski stands out as a top defenseman, leading NHL blueliners in goals and multi-point games, and is close to a milestone of scoring 20 goals in two straight seasons.
Comparing team stats, Columbus has a 19.4% power play success rate (19th in NHL) but struggles on the penalty kill at 75.7% (28th). Tampa Bay has a slightly better power play at 20.7% (14th), excels on the penalty kill at 84.2% (3rd), and ranks sixth in goals scored while allowing the second-fewest goals.
Historically, Columbus has faced Tampa Bay 54 times, holding a record of 17 wins to 29 losses overall and a balanced 12-12 at home. Recently, the Blue Jackets have a favorable 6-4-2 record at home against the Lightning and have scored power play goals in four of their last six matchups.
For Tampa Bay, Brandon Hagel leads with 25 goals, Nikita Kucherov tops the team with 49 assists and 73 points, and goaltenders Jonas Johansson and Andrei Vasilevskiy share time in net—though Vasilevskiy played just the night before. Against Tampa, noteworthy Blue Jackets contributors include Werenski with 21 points, Coyle with 16, and Marchenko with 11 points.
On the injury front, Columbus is without Brendan Smith (lower body, out for the season), Miles Wood (weekly status), and Denton Matejczuk (daily updates), with a total of 142 man-games lost.
Tonight’s game will be broadcast on FanDuel Sports Network with Steve Mears on commentary. Radio coverage starts on 97.1 Fan featuring Bob McElligott.
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Fan Take: This matchup highlights the growing competitiveness of the Blue Jackets as they push to improve within a tough division, bringing renewed excitement to their fanbase. For hockey enthusiasts, this game underscores the evolving dynamics between seasoned contenders like Tampa Bay and emerging challengers, promising thrilling action that can impact playoff positioning and player legacies.
