Stick sports have always had a great fanbase. Sports betting sites like Leon Bet will tell you that themselves! However, if you don’t want to go through the hassle of combing through the stats yourself, then you’re in luck. In this article, we will be going through the recent achievements of both teams and see how they stack up against each other. This way, you’ll know who to bet on before the event even begins! So, without further ado, let’s get on with it!
The Blue Corner: Introducing the Home Team
The Blue Jackets have held their own in big games this season. Of their 16 wins, 10 have come against teams that made the Stanley Cup Playoffs last year. The latest came on New Year’s Eve when they edged out a 4-3 shootout win over a team with six straight playoff appearances and three of the last four Metropolitan Division titles.
More impressive was how they pulled it off. Down 3-2 heading into the third, Columbus turned up the intensity, found the equalizer, and secured their second comeback win of the season when trailing after two periods.
The Blue Jackets are now just two points shy of the final wild-card spot in the East. And there’s plenty to like about how they’re playing. They have picked up points in five of their last six games (4-1-1), thanks to big performances from top-line forwards Dmitri Voronkov, Sean Monahan, and Kirill Marchenko, along with standout defenseman Zach Werenski—all among the league’s top scorers during this stretch.
The next challenge? Finding consistency and spreading the scoring throughout the lineup. But more than anything, it’s about learning how to win and proving they can go toe-to-toe with the best. Columbus has made big strides in both areas this season, and they’ll look to carry that momentum from the Carolina win into the new year.
The Red Corner: Welcome the Challenger
The Red Wings have gone eight years without making the playoffs after 25 consecutive seasons. A combination of youthful talent and seasoned leadership was supposed to be the key to a turnaround, but Detroit has been out of sorts for the majority of the season. With that losing streak continuing, head coach Derek Lalonde was let go on December 26. Todd McLellan, the team’s new coach, has now taken over and has won two of his first three games while trying to revitalize the squad.
Lucas Raymond is one player that keeps getting better. With 22 goals and 38 points so far this season, the 22-year-old Swede—who was selected fourth overall in 2020—had a breakout year with 31 goals in his previous campaign. Alex DeBrincat matched Raymond’s 15 goals and 28 points, while captain Dylan Larkin followed with 29 points and 13 goals. With the exception of blue line leader Moritz Seider, who has tallied 20 points (4G, 16A), the defense has struggled to find secondary scoring opportunities.
Navy Federal Columbus Ohio’s most relied-upon goalie, Cam Talbot, has gone 14-10-2 with a 2.98 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage. While Ville Husso has been out with an injury, Alex Lyon has been the main backup with a record of 8-6-1, 2.68 GAA, and .901 SV%.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Kirill Marchenko and Zach Werenski are having one of the best scoring starts. In every Columbus Blue Jackets game so far this season, they’ve racked up 42 and 40 points, putting them among the top CBJ players ever at this stage of the season. The only player to do better? Artemi Panarin, who had 43 in 2018-19.
Werenski has been on fire, setting a team record with 11 shots on goal in a single game Tuesday. In December alone, he notched 16 points (3 goals, 13 assists), tying his own CBJ record for most points by a defenseman in a month. Over his last 22 games, he got 30 points (8 goals, 22 assists) and played more minutes per game (26:24) than anyone in the league. He leads all NHL defensemen with 11 goals.
Marchenko has also been red-hot, putting up 19 points in December—the second-most ever for a Blue Jackets player in a single month. Over his last nine games, he’s collected 15 points, and in his last 20, he’s racked up 26.
Sean Monahan is another big contributor. He had three assists on Tuesday and has put up 25 points (7 goals, 18 assists) in his last 23 games. In just his last six games, he totaled 11 points, tying Marchenko for the most in the NHL since December 19.
The Blue Jackets’ power play has been clicking, scoring in nine of their last 12 games at a 30.6% success rate (11 goals on 36 chances). At even strength, they’re among the best in the league, ranking third with 89 goals at 5-on-5. Overall, they’re scoring 3.29 goals per game, ranking ninth in the NHL. Their defensemen have also chipped in big time, leading the league with 25 goals from the blue line.
Both teams will have some familiar faces on the ice. The Red Wings have four former University of Michigan players—Dylan Larkin, Andrew Copp, J.T. Compher, and Tyler Motte—while the Blue Jackets also have four—Adam Fantilli, Jack Johnson, Kent Johnson, and Zach Werenski.
Even more interesting, five of them—Compher, Copp, Larkin, Motte, and Werenski—were teammates at Michigan during the 2014-15 season.
Catching the Action
Where do the Columbus Blue Jackets play the Red Wings? You can go to Ohio Stadium and join the 100,000 thousand other people catching this live! Now that you know more about both teams, which one do you think will walk away victorious?
