Updated 2:30pm - Patrik Laine is done for the season with a tricep strain. Finishes the season with 52 points in 55 games. Absolutely tough injury season for Laine and for the Jackets.

Preview:

For the first time since Saturday, March 11, 2023, the Columbus Blue Jackets have returned to the Nationwide Arena to collide with the New York Islanders in their third and final home game of the month of March.

The middle of the month brought the Jackets organization their annual Pacific southwest road trip due to the March Madness NCAA basketball tournament.

The Blue Jackets team looks a little different than it had previous.

Cole Sillinger has been loaned to the Cleveland Monsters. This hopefully gets him the confidence he needs to get back into producing next season.

Sean Kuraly is nearing an early return from his injury.

Colorado college prospect Hunter McKown has signed a three year entry level contract beginning this season for the Blue Jackets.

McKown, 20, is the NCAA leader in power play goals this season. He had 21 goals, 7 assists, 28 points in 38 games this season. He had one assist in four games with Team USA during the 2022 WJC

He is been the spare forward on the roster since his signing.

Pascal Vincent has been serving as head coach with Brad Larsen out on family leave. Prayers to Larsen and family during this difficult time.

Patrik Laine has been taking shifts as the first line center between Johnny Gaudreau and Kirill Marchenko, with Boone Jenner edging Jack Roslovic to the second line wing the past two games.

Justin Danforth, Jake Bean, and Zach Werenski have also been taking skates with the team, but I do not expect them to return to play before the end of the season.

Tonight is the fourth and final game between the Islanders and Blue Jackets at 7pm on the NHL Network; Bally Sports Ohio; and MSG.

The Islanders are a different team compared to the last time they met.

Matthew Barzal has been out injured, but they have acquired forwards Bo Horvat from the Canucks and Pierre Engvall from the Leafs.

Anthony Beauvillier and Aatu Raty went back to the Canucks off the roster. Other picks were moved to Vancouver and Toronto in the separate deals.

Horvat is having a career year with the Islanders/Canucks, eclipsing 35 goals for the first time in a season.

In their last three, the Islanders have outscored their opponents 17-6 in the victories.

Laine is done, and Kuraly is back. The lineup for Columbus has been adjusted

Semyon Varlamov is expected to be the starter for the Islanders.

Michael Hutchinson starts tonight for the Jackets.

Projected Lineups

New York Islanders

Andres Lee--Bo Horvat--Simon Holmstrom
Pierre Engvall--Brock Nelson--Kyle Palmieri
Zach Parise--Jean-Gabriel Pageau--Hudson Fasching
Matt Martin--Casey Cizkas--Cal Clutterbuck

Adam Pelech--Scott Mayfield
Alexander Romanov--Ryan Pulock
Samuel Bodluc--Noah Dobson

Semyon Varlamov
Ilya Sorokin

Scratched --
Injured -- Oliver Whalstrom,, Matt Barzal, Otto Koivula, Josh Bailey, Sebastian Aho

Columbus Blue Jackets

Johnny Gaudreau--Boone Jenner--Kirill Marchenko
Liam Foudy—Jack Roslovic—Kent Johnson
Lane Pederson— Hunter McKown--Emil Bemstrom
Eric Robinson--Sean Kuraly--Mathieu Olivier

Nick Blankenburg--Eric Gudbranson
Tim Breni--Andrew Peeke
Gavin Bayreuther--Adam Boqvist

Michael Hutchinson
Daniil Tarasov

Scratched -- none
Injured -- Zach Werenski, Justin Danforth, Jake Bean, Patrik Laine

Players to Watch

NY Islanders -- Jean-Gabriel Pageau -- the bottom six has been on fire for the Islanders. JGP has 6 points in his last 5; 5 in his last 3.

Columbus -- Sean Kuraly -- he is a game time decision but if he comes back and is in tonight, this is a good sign for the home team and hometown guy.


Predicted Final Score

NYI - 5

CBJ - 3

SoCal Back to Back

The Columbus Blue Jackets are officially eliminated from playoff contention for the 2022-2023 regular season following their previous two defeats to the other two California teams.

Thursday night was a 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. Friday night was a 7-4 loss to the Anaheim Ducks.

CBJ G67 @ Los Angeles Kings - Second Period Story

The LA Kings score four second period goals to defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets by the final score of 4-1.

The Kings scored all four goals in 9:04 time on ice between the first and last.

Drew Doughty opened the scoring his his fifth goal of the season off a redirect bat shot. Carl Grundstrom fired the initial shot. Rasmus Kupari had the secondary assist.

Kings' captain Anze Kopitar put up the eventual game winning goal with his 26th of the season from Quinton Byfield and Mikey Anderson.

Veteran Viktor Arvidsson put the dagger through the the Jackets with his 19th on the campaign from linemates Trevor Moore and Phillip Danault.

Grundstrom added the insurance marker unassisted for his eighth of the season.

Kirill Marchenko shut the shutout hopes down on his 17th of the year. Gavin Bayreuther had the lone helper.

Vladislav Gavrikov was my Kings' player to watch as a result of the recent trade and first time against his former team. In his 21:32 time on ice, he had 2 shots on and blocked; and a hit and takeaway.

Phoenix Copley was the LA goalie, allowing one goal on 30 shots faced for a 0.967 save percentage.

Johnny Gaudreau was my player to watch for Columbus after his 5 point night against San Jose, but he vanished. Gaudreau was a -2 with 4 shots on goal and a hit in 18:26TOI.

Daniil Tarasov allowed 4 goals on 27 shots, but Michael Hutchinson stopped all 9 faces afterwards.

CBJ THREE STARS OF THE GAME

1. Kiril Marchenko -- goal (17)

2. Gavin Bayreuther -- assist (9)

3. Michael Hutchinson -- 9 saves


CBJ G68 @ Anahiem Ducks -- Closer

The playoff aspirations were officially slammed shut by the Ducks in a 7-4 win over the Blue Jackets.

Trevor Zegras opened the scoring with his 22nd of the year from Ryan Strome and Brock McGinn

Nick Blankenburg evened the game with his fourth of his career from Liam Foudy.

Scott Harrington scored against his former team for his second of the season from Troy Terry and Simon Benoit.

Captain Boone Jenner evened the game in the final seconds of the first for his 23rd from Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine.

Maxime Comtois got the Ducks ahead early in the second with his eighth of the seasons

Cole Sillinger evens the game again on the powerplay for only his third this year. Kent Johnson and Emil Bemstrom had the helpers.

Tory Terry got the Ducks ahead once again with his 20th of the campaign from Colton White and Mason McTavish.

Patrik Laine got the club's second power goal and third tie of the evening for his 22nd of the year from Adam Boqvist and Michael Hutchinson.

Max Jones responded with the game winning goal for his seventh of the season.

Scott Harrington added to his production on an empty net for his second of the night and third of the season.

Ryan Strome put away the next empty net goal for his 12th as a Duck.

Mason McTavish was my Ducks' player to watch, having his 25th assist this season. He was a +2 with 4SOG in 18:39TOI.

Lukas Dostal had 38 saves on 42 shots for a 0.905 save percentage.

Johnny Gaudreau had an assist with a -3 rating and 4 shots on goal in 19:54TOI. I

Michael Hutchinson had 31 saves on 36 shots for a 0.861 save percentage.

CBJ THREE STARS OF THE GAME

1. Patrik Laine -- PPG (22), assist (26)

2. Boone Jenner -- goal (23)

3. Cole Sillinger -- PPG (3)


CBJ P69 - Born Sinner

The Columbus Blue Jackets suffer their third straight loss in a humiliating 7-2 defeat over the Vegas Golden Knights inside T-Mobile Arena.

Phil Kessel opened the game scoring for his 12th of the season. The first goal for the home team got helpers from rookie Pave Dorofeyev and Reilly Smith.

Kirill Marchenko evened the contest with his 18th career NHL goal just 37 seconds into the second period. Erik Gudbranson and first line center Patrik Laine had the helpers.

Vegas went on a tear with 6 unanswered goals.

Jack Eichel scored his first of the game and 24th of the season from Alec Martinez and Alex Piterangelo.

Dorofeyev recorded his third career NHL goal from Kessel and Petro.

Zach Whitecloud further the Vegas lead with his fourth of the campaign from Brett Howden and Shea Theodore.

Eichel closed the second period scoring with his second of the period, second of the game, and 25th of the year from Petro for his third point of the night.

Paul Cotter begin the third period scoring for Vegas with his 13th of the season with the support coming by Chandler Stephenson and Piterangelo.

The final Vegas goal was also Eichel's hattrick and 26th of the season. Jonathan Marchessault and Brayden McNabb had the final assists for the home team.

Columbus got the final goal of the evening from Liam Foudy. His fifth of his career got assists from Marchenko and Laine.

William Karlsson was my Vegas player to watch, being a -1 with an 81.2% in the faceoff got in 15:17TOI.

Jonathan Marchessault was the lone former Blue Jacket to offensively produce for Vegas with the primary assist on Eichel's third goal. Keegan Kolesar and Jonathan Quick both rode the pine by sitting

Jiri Pateta was the Vegas goaltender, stopping 35 of 37 shots for a 0.946 save percentage.

Jack Roslovic was my Columbus player to watch given his silent month. He had one shot and block while holding a -2 in 13:53TOI.

Daniil Tarasov allowed 4 goals on 29 shots for a 0.828; Michael Hutchinson allowed 2 goals on 12 shots from his former team for a 0.833 save percentage

CBJ THREE STARS OF THE GAME

1. Kirill Marchenko -- goal (18), assist (3), 20 career NHL points

2. Patrik Laine -- 2 assists (28)

3. Liam Foudy -- goal (5)


CBJ P70 @ Washington Capitals -- OT Ouch

The Columbus Blue Jackets come back and close their five game road trip with an overtime win over the struggling Washington Capitals.

Washington opened the scoring with three first period goals.

Alexander Ovechkin his 40th goal of the season and 820th career NHL goal to start the night off in DC. Ovi becomes the first player in NHL history with 13 seasons with 40 goals recorded in one. Tom Wilson and Dylan Strome had the helpers.

TJ Oshie joined Ovi in the scoring department next with his 19th of the season from Martin Fehervary and former Blue Jacket Sonny Milano.

Connor Sheary pots the next one for the Caps with his 13th of the season. His assists were by Rasmus Sandin and Aleksi Protas.

Eric Robinson closed the first period scoring with his ninth from Mathieu Olivier.

Adam Boqvist began the second period scoring his fourth of his injury brittled season. He got assists from Emil Bemstrom and Cole Sillinger.

Milano strikes again against his former club with his 11th of the season. Nicklas Backstrom and Oshie had the helpers.

Jack Roslovic responded for the Jackets with his eighth of the year from the Michigan duo of Kent Johnson and Nick Blankenburg.

Nick Jensen closed out the scoring of the second period with his third of season from Nick Dowd and Wilson.

Adam Boqvist opened the third period scoring his second of the game and fifth of the year from Lane Pederson and Bemstrom.

Bemstrom brings the Jackets even closer with his sixth of the season from Patrik Laine and Johnny Gaudreau.

Jensen got his second of the game and fourth of the season in what would be the Caps' final goal of the night. Goalie Charlie Lindgren got his first assist of the season.

Boone Jenner evened the game for the Jackets with his team leading 24th of the season from Johnson and Laine.

Jack Roslovic got his second of the game and the overtime winner. His ninth of the season was assisted by Johnny Gaudreau.

Charlie Lindgren allowed 7 goals on 39 shots for a 0.821 save percentage.

Daniil Tarasov allowed 6 goals on 37 shots for a 0.838 save percentage.

CBJ THREE STARS OF THE GAME

1. Jack Roslovic

2. Adam Boqvist

3. Emil Bemstrom

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