The Blue Jackets have another quick turn-around. It became more difficult today. After winning at home last night over the New York Islanders, they were unable to depart for Ottawa last night because of a mechanical issue with their plane.
They were also unable to depart this morning, which has resulted in the game being pushed back a half hour to 7:30 Eastern. They finally left the ground from Columbus around 2:30 this afternoon.
It sounds like the team has safely arrived in Canada's capital city, so tonight's game will be a go.
The Opponent
The Ottawa Senators are similar to the Blue Jackets in a lot of ways. After a surprising run last season, they entered this year with larger expectations, but so far have been unable to live up to them.
After making the playoffs last season, the Sens hoped to take another step forward. But as the season nears its halfway point, they sit at 18-14-5 (41 points), just three points ahead of the Jackets in the standings.
They're similar to the Blue Jackets other ways, as well. They are a big, heavy team that is deep down the middle and on defense. Similarly, they have a tendency to give up too much in their own end.
Tonight, they will be without starting goaltender Linus Ullmark, who has taken a personal leave of absence from the team. We wish him all the best in whatever he's working through.
As a result, the Jackets will face Leevi Merilainen for the first time in his career. He's 4-6-0 this season, with a .874% save percentage and 3.43 goals against average.
Up front, Ottawa is led in scoring by Tim Stutzle, who has 19 goals and 40 points in 37 games. Drake Batherson (15-22-37) is also at a point-per-game, with Dylan Cozens (11-18-29) rounding out the top-three.
The Sens should get a big boost tonight from Shane Pinto, who returns after missing the last 10 games with an injury. He's a very important middle six center for them.
They have lost two games in a row, and had yesterday off. I expect them to throw everything they have at the Jackets tonight.
The Good Guys
After an emotional comeback win at home last night, the Blue Jackets have had a hellish travel day today. As a result, we have no clue what the lineup will look like, and that will probably remain the case until warmups.
The only thing I can add here is to expect Elvis Merzlikins in goal. He's played pretty well against the Senators in his career, especially if you throw out their first meeting from this season.
The Sens won that game 6-3, with Elvis being pulled after giving up 3 goals early. Though the Jackets came back and made it close, they were never really in that game. We never know what to expect from this team, but the hope is that they give their goaltender a better start tonight.
Update: they will go with Jet Greaves again.
Head coach Dean Evason says #CBJ going with the same lineup tonight in Ottawa as last night vs. the Islanders, so Jet Greaves gets the start in net against the Sens.
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) December 29, 2025
Three Keys to Success
1. Keep the wheels greased. They poured out all of the emotions at home last night, but this is the kind of game that can make or break a team's season. They have to keep it going tonight, and build some momentum off of that big win.
2. Get some early saves. Yes, they were bad when these two teams met on December 11th. But, their goaltending did them no favors. They need Jet Greaves to make some early saves tonight.
3. Play low event hockey. The Senators will want to open this game up and show out in front of their home crowd. With the way the Blue Jackets have retooled their roster, they are better suited to make this a boring defensive stand and try to find a greasy goal or two.
As mentioned at the top, this one will have a later start due to the CBJ's airplane issues. Puck drop is scheduled for shortly after 7:30 from Kanata. Let's go Jackets.