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Game Day #52: Jackets meet the Utah not-Yetis in Salt Lake

Jan 29, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Hockey Club center Clayton Keller (9) warms up before a game against the before the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Friday, January 31, 2025 – 9:00 PM
Delta Center, Salt Lake City
TV: FDSNOH – Radio: 97.1FM

Columbus Blue Jackets (25-19-7, 57 points, 4th Metropolitan, 8th East)
at
Utah Hockey Club (21-21-8, 50 points, 5th Central, 10th West)

After toppling Vegas in OT the Jackets continue on their road trip for their first visit against the former Arizona Coyotes.

Players to Watch

Logan Cooley

Since the Dylan Guenther injury the 3rd overall pick in the 2022 draft has been filling in as the top line center for the Utahns. Many of the top picks in the 2022 draft have underwhelmed thus far, but Cooley has started to make a strong case as the top player from that draft class. He’s second on the team in points this season (15-28-43) and is far outpacing the other top 5 picks of that draft: Slafkovsky, Nemec, Wright, and Gauthier. He’s an undersized player with a lot of hockey sense and skill.

A few words from The Athletics’ Cory Pronman pre-draft: “Cooley is a dynamic player. When he has the puck on his stick you instantly notice him because of his high-end speed, skill and offensive IQ. He can make highly creative dekes and passes at full speed.”

update: Cooley has been ruled out for tonight’s game with a lower body injury

Jackets Notes

Not much news with a late Back-to-Back out West, just rumors about the Jackets interest in the Vancouver Canucks’ Elias Pettersson (F). Let’s check on the projected playoff odds for the CBJ from some of the more well-known public models.

Dom at the Athletic: 36%
Hockeyviz: 40.9%
Moneypuck: 22.5%
DraftKings Sports Book implied odds: 27.8%

The Other Bench

Utah is sitting in 10th place in the West and on the fringe of the Playoff picture in the first season in Salt Lake. The more exciting news is that the organization recently lost the battle with the US Patent Office for the rights to the “Utah Yeti” name. Earlier this week a survey was sent out from the Utah organization asking fans to select their favorite amongst: “Mammoth”, “Utah Hockey Club”, and “Wasatch” (the local mountain range). But, there was clear feedback that “Wasatch” was undesirable and a new survey was released replacing it with the name “Outlaws”.

Personally, I like Utah Mammoth. What is your choice for the new Utah Mascot between Mammoth, Outlaws, or the simple, Hockey Club?

Season Series

1/31/2025 – CBJ at Utah
2/6/2025 – Utah at CBJ

Stats

UtahColumbus
2.82 (22)GPG3.27 (7)
2.96 (19)GAPG3.29 (26)
22.5% (13)PP%22.4% (14)
81.8% (8)PK%75% (26)
52% (6)5v5 Shot Attempt %47.73% (26)
52.23% (6)5v5 Unblocked Shot Attempt %48.42% (22)
8.54% (24)5v5 Shooting %9.92% (3)
.915 (15)5v5 Save %.908 (21)
Clayton Keller, 18G LeaderKirill Marchenko, 20
Clayton Keller, 36A LeaderZach Werenski, 39
Clayton Keller, 54P LeaderZach Werenski, 55
Michael Kesselring, 58PIM LeaderMatthieu Olivier, 92
8-11-5Home/Road8-14-4
4-5-1Last 107-2-1

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets

Dmitri VoronkovAdam FantilliKirill Marchenko
James van RiemsdykCole SillingerKent Johnson
Zach Aston-ReeseLuca Del Bel BelluzMattieu Olivier
Mikael PyyhtiaSean KuralyJustin Danforth
Zach WerenskiDante Fabbro
Denton MateychukIvan Provorov
Jake ChristiansenDamon Severson
Daniil Tarasov
Elvis Merzlikins

Utah

Clayton KellerAlex KerfootNick Schmaltz
Matias MaccelliBarrett HaytonJosh Doan
Lawson CrouseJack McBainMichael Carcone
Liam O’BrienKevin StenlundNick Bjugstad
Mikhail SergachevJohn Marino
Ian ColeMichael Kesselring
Olli MaattaNick DeSimone
Karel Vejmelka
Connor Ingram

Talking Points