Thursday, March 7, 2024 – 7PM ET
Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio
TV: Bally Sports Ohio – Radio: 97.1FM
Opponent’s Blog – Copper ‘n Blug
Edmonton Oilers (38-20-2, 78 points, 2nd Pacific, 5th West)
at
Columbus Blue Jackets (21-31-10, 52 points, 8th Metropolitan, 8th East)
After a disastrous opening to the season, culminating in the firing of their head coach, the Oilers have rebounded, going 35-11-1 since hiring Kris Knoblauch. Meanwhile, the Jackets have stuck to the disaster part.
Player to Watch
Leon Draisaitl
When the best player in the NHL, who has 99 points in already this season, and could feasibly be the second player in NHL history to break 2000 career points if he can keep playing for nine years is also on your team, it’s easy to be underappreciated. And Leon Draisaitl is almost underappreciated. Draisaitl has 80 points this season, which would lead 25 of the 31 other teams in the NHL, and 32 goals, which would lead 24 of the 31 other teams in the NHL. Yet, he somehow isn’t leading his team in either stat. Whack. He’s still lethal, 9th in the NHL in points, and German. My childhood best friend moved to Germany, so that’s bonus points for me.
Game Notes
The trade deadline is actually insane this year, with six different trades going down yesterday, featuring Vladimir Tarasenko, Noah Hanifin, Casey Mittelstadt, Bowen Byram, and Adam Henrique. The later of which was acquired by the Oilers, along with Sam Carrick, for a 1st, 4th, and 5th. Henrique and Carrick could potentially make their debuts for Edmonton tonight. … The actual trade deadline is tomorrow at 3PM ET. … We’ll see if Jack Roslovic, Ivan Provorov, or someone else get traded, but consensus is that neither will be held out tonight. … If Kirill Marchenko gets held out again and we go 11-7, I’m going to freaking lose it. … The Oilers are on a 5-game win streak.
Season Series
1/23/2024 – CBJ 1 at EDM 4
3/7/2024 – Edmonton at Columbus
Stats
| Edmonton | Columbus | |
| 3.53 (4) | GPG | 2.98 (21) |
| 2.88 (10) | GAPG | 3.66 (31) |
| 26.6% (4) | PP% | 14.5% (31) |
| 79.7% (14) | PK% | 76.4% (25) |
| 55.4% (3) | 5v5 Shot Attempt % | 48.2% (22) |
| 55.3% (3) | 5v5 Unblocked Shot Attempt % | 48.4% (21) |
| 8.6% (15) | 5v5 Shooting % | 9.4% (6) |
| .912 (16) | 5v5 Save % | .910 (22) |
| Zach Hyman, 42 | G Leader | Boone Jenner, 19 |
| Connor McDavid, 76 | A Leader | Johnny Gaudreau, 35 |
| Connor McDavid, 99 | P Leader | Johnny Gaudreau, 45 |
| Evander Kane, 70 | PIM Leader | Erik Gudbranson, 59 |
| 18-12-0 | Home/Road | 11-16-4 |
| 7-2-1 | Last 10 | 5-5-0 |
Projected Lineups
Columbus Blue Jackets
| Johnny Gaudreau | Boone Jenner | Jack Roslovic |
| Alexandre Texier | Cole Sillinger | Alex Nylander |
| Yegor Chinakhov | Dmitri Voronkov | Kirill Marchenko? |
| Justin Danforth | Sean Kuraly | Mathieu Olivier |
| Zach Werenski | Adam Boqvist |
| Ivan Provorov | Damon Severson |
| Jake Bean/Andrew Peeke | Erik Gudbranson |
| Elvis Merzlikins |
| Daniil Tarasov |
Edmonton Oilers
| Ryan Nugent-Hopkins | Connor McDavid | Zach Hyman |
| Evander Kane | Leon Draisaitl | Ryan McLeod |
| Warren Foegele | Adam Henrique | Corey Perry |
| Dylan Holloway | Sam Carrick | Mattias Janmark |
| Mattias Ekholm | Evan Bouchard |
| Darnell Nurse | Vincent Desharnais |
| Brett Kulak | Cody Ceci |
| Stuart Skinner |
| Calvin Pickard |