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FLORIDA PANTHERS TUESDAY, OCT. 15 7:00 P.M. NATIONWIDE ARENA COLUMBUS, OH |
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FLORIDA: |
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It's a home opener unlike any other.
The Columbus Blue Jackets take the ice against the Florida Panthers at Nationwide Arena for the first regular season game of the season Tuesday night.
But the game, really, is secondary.
The club will honor the lives and memory of star forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew. The brothers were killed in late August when they struck and killed by an alleged drunk driver while riding their bicycles home from their sister's wedding rehearsal.
Video tributes, a moment of silence, and much more is planned for the sold-out crowd. It's sure to be one of the most emotional moments in the history of Nationwide Arena, the Blue Jackets organization, and many of those in attendance.
Guy Gaudreau, the father of Johnny and Matt, skated with the team Monday at practice and joined them again Tuesday morning. He'll be in the arena, along with the rest of the Gaudreau family.
Here's what else to know when the Blue Jackets play one for Johnny:
| CBJ | SEASON STATS | FLA | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.00 | t-4th | GOALS FOR | 3.25 | 17th |
| 3.50 | t-18th | GOALS AGAINST | 3.75 | t-23rd |
| 33.3% | t-4th | POWER PLAY | 13.3% | 23rd |
| 57.1% | t-29th | PENALTY KILL | 85.7% | t-10th |
| 28.0 | 20th | SHOTS FOR | 29.5 | t-14th |
| 28.0 | t-11th | SHOTS AGAINST | 28.3 | 13th |
| FLORIDA'S LAST THREE GAMES | ||||
| THU, 10/10 | @ Ottawa | L, 3-1 | ||
| SAT, 10/12 | @ Buffalo | L, 5-2 | ||
| MON, 10/14 | @ Boston | W, 4-3 | ||
| FLORIDA'S TEAM LEADERS | ||||
| GOALS |
Sam Reinhart Sam Bennett |
3 | ||
| ASSISTS |
About Half Of The Forwards |
2 | ||
| POINTS | Sam Reinhart | 5 | ||
| ODDS & PROJECTIONS | ||||
| CBJ WIN PER MONEYPUCK: | 38% | |||
| BETESPN ODDS: | CBJ +140 | |||
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If you can't make it to the game, here's the schedule for Bally Sports:
The @BlueJacketsNHL honor Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau tonight at Nationwide Arena.
— Bally Sports Columbus (@BallySportsCBUS) October 15, 2024
6:00 - Blue Jackets Live pregame coverage
6:30 - Remembering Johnny Gaudreau
7:00 - Pregame ceremony prior to puck drop#CBJ pic.twitter.com/Vo4dQOiTKP
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The "Big Four" in the core of young Blue Jacket forwards — Yegor Chinakhov, Adam Fantilli, Kent Johnson, and Cole Sillinger — have been dynamite to start the season. Sillinger, the 'veteran' of the group, was asked about the play of Johnson. His response: “Is there anything not to like right now?” The two have been playing fantastic together, skating with Mikael Pyyhtia on the third line that's played more like a second line through two games.
- Elvis Merzlikins, as he was for the opener, will get the start in net. For the skaters, the only change in the lineup from Saturday's game will be the addition of Jordan Harris into the defensive pairings, replacing Jack Johnson. Zach Aston-Reese was banged up against the Colorado Avalanche, but is expected to play. If he can't go, Dylan Gambrell looks to slide into the fourth line. Here are the full line projections:
| LW | C | RW | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 59 | Yegor Chinakhov | 23 | Sean Monahan | 82 | Kirill Marchenko |
| 21 | James van Riemsdyk | 19 | Adam Fantilli | 62 | Kevin Labanc |
| 82 | Mikael Pyyhtia | 4 | Cole Sillinger | 91 | Kent Johnson |
| 27 | Zach Aston-Reese | 7 | Sean Kuraly | 24 | Mathieu Olivier |
| LD | RD | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Zach Werenski | 9 | Ivan Provorov |
| 2 | Jake Christiansen | 78 | Damon Severson |
| 22 | Jordan Harris | 44 | Erik Gudbranson |
| Starting Goalie | Back-Up Goalie | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 90 | Elvis Merzlikins | 40 | Daniil Tarasov |
