Saturday, March 2, 2024 – 8:00 PM EST
United Center, Chicago, Illinois
TV: Bally Sports Ohio; Radio: 97.1 FM
Opponent’s Site: Second City Hockey
Columbus Blue Jackets (19-30-10, 48 points, 8th Metro, 16th East)
at
Chicago Blackhawks (15-40-4, 35 points, 8th Central, 16th West)
The worst in the East visits the worst in the West! That being said, it’s a nice reminder that the Blackhawks are on a whole different level of bad. Can the Blue Jackets take advantage of that?
Player to Watch
Connor Bedard
The Blackhawks are awful, but Bedard has come as advertised this season. Despite missing 13 games with injury, he is still leading his team in scoring. He has 40 points in just 46 games. That includes 7 points in 7 games since returning from a broken jaw, though he has just one assist in the last four games. He also scored a goal in the first meeting between these two teams back in November.
Jackets Notes
Adam Boqvist returns to the lineup in place of Andrew Peeke. Whew. … Yesterday, the Blue Jackets signed London Knights center Max McCue to an entry level contract that begins next season. Solid depth move for the pipeline, and maybe a sign that the team will be pursuing London GM Mark Hunter for the GM job here? Current front office members Rick Nash and Basil McRae also have London connections.
Season Series
11/22/2023 CHI 3 @ CBJ 7
03/02/2024 CBJ @ CHI
Stats
| Chicago | Columbus | |
| 2.03 (32) | GPG | 2.90 (23) |
| 3.53 (28) | GAPG | 3.68 (31) |
| 13.2 (32) | PP% | 14.9 (28) |
| 77.3 (24) | PK% | 76.6 (25) |
| 44.0 (31) | 5v5 Shot Attempt % | 48.0 (22) |
| 43.8 (31) | 5v5 Unblocked Shot Attempt % | 48.2 (21) |
| 6.8 (31) | 5v5 Shooting % | 9.2 (9) |
| 90.6 (26) | 5v5 Save % | 91.0 (21) |
| C. Bedard, J. Dickinson, 17 | G Leader | Boone Jenner, 18 |
| C. Bedard, P. Kurashev, 23 | A Leader | Johnny Gaudreau, 34 |
| Connor Bedard, 40 | P Leader | Johnny Gaudreau, 42 |
| Nick Foligno, 47 | PIM Leader | Erik Gudbranson, 57 |
| 11-16-4 | Home/Road | 9-14-6 |
| 1-6-3 | Last 10 | 4-6-0 |
Projected Lines
Columbus Blue Jackets
| Johnny Gaudreau | Boone Jenner | Jack Roslovic |
| Yegor Chinakhov | Dmitri Voronkov | Kirill Marchenko |
| Alexandre Texier | Cole Sillinger | Alex Nylander |
| Justin Danforth | Sean Kuraly | Mathieu Olivier |
| Zach Werenski | Adam Boqvist |
| Ivan Provorov | Damon Severson |
| Jake Bean | Erik Gudbranson |
| Elvis Merzlikins |
| Daniil Tarasov |
Chicago Blackhawks
| Anthony Beauvillier | Connor Bedard | Philipp Kurashev |
| Colin Blackwell | Jason Dickinson | Joey Anderson |
| Nick Foligno | Tyler Johnson | Taylor Raddysh |
| Ryan Donato | Mackenzie Entwistle | Reese Johnson |
| Alex Vlasic | Seth Jones |
| Kevin Korchinski | Jaycob Megna |
| Jarred Tinordi | Louis Crevier |
| Petr Mrazek |
| Arvid Soderblom |