Game #36 Preview/Gamethread: Blue Jackets return to action in New Jersey – The Cannon

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Wednesday, December 27, 2023 – 7:00 PM ET
Prudential Center, Newark, NJ
TV: Bally Sports Ohio; Radio: 97.1 FM
Columbus Blue Jackets (11-18-6, 28 points, 8th Metro, 15th East)
at
New Jersey Devils (17-13-2, 36 points, 6th Metro, 10th East)
Immediately after Thanksgiving, the Blue Jackets played in New Jersey. Immediately after the Christmas break…they’re playing in New Jersey.
This section is “player to watch” but someone this good is hard to miss. In these teams’ last meeting 11 days ago, Hughes scored a hat trick in a 6-0 Devils win in Columbus. He has 39 points (14/25) in 27 games so far, so he’s playing ahead of the 99 point pace he had last season.
Sean Kuraly left Saturday’s game with an abdominal injury and was taken to the hospital for testing. He was discharged that night after the tests were negative. It’s a relief that he avoided serious injury, but we won’t know his status for sure until practice this morning … The other big lineup question I have is in goal. Daniil Tarasov has started 3 of 4 games since returning to the roster, but hasn’t been very good (1-2-0 record, .852 SV%, 4.39 GAA) … The World Junior Championships began yesterday. Denton Mateychuk had an assist for Canada while Gavin Brindley scored twice for Team USA:
Gavin Brindley just always gets in good spots to score. The #CBJ second-rounder is on the board at the World Juniors with this finish. pic.twitter.com/3TpBoGXp7r
A second goal for 🇺🇸 from #CBJ draft pick Gavin Brindley. Great finish, but his forecheck to get the puck makes the play happen. pic.twitter.com/UhSGOLLdg7
The Devils have not done well since last playing Columbus: they lost three straight at home to Anaheim (1-5), Philadelphia (2-3 in OT), and Edmonton (3-6). They beat Detroit 3-2 in the last game before the break … The Devils are 10-5-0 on the road but just below .500 at home. Weird.
11/24/2023 CBJ 2 @ NJD 1
12/16/2023 NJD 6 @ CBJ 3
12/27/2023 CBJ @ NJD
01/19/2024 NJD @ CBJ

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