The Blue Jackets are in action tonight at Nationwide Arena, hosting the Dallas Stars for the first and only time this season. Coming off of a loss, they will be looking to bounce back for a much-needed two points.
To say Tuesday night's game was not their best effort, might be an understatement. The Jackets did not look good for long stretches against the Ottawa Senators, ultimately earning a 4-1 loss.
They will get some help tonight, with two veteran forwards making their return to the lineup. Meanwhile, the Stars will be without a couple of their best players.
The Opponent
The Dallas Stars are one of the most elite teams in the entire NHL. They sit in second place in the gauntlet that is the Central Division, with a 28-13-9 record (65 points). They're tied for third in the league in goal differential (+28).
They have star talent (no pun intended) at every position. Up front, Mikko Rantanen leads them in scoring, with 19 goals and 63 points in 48 games played. Good news for the Jackets, however: he won't play tonight due to illness.
Still, the Jackets will have to find a way to contain their leading goal scorer, Jason Robertson. He sits second in overall scoring with 58 points (29 goals) in 50 games. And, Wyatt Johnston (26-28-54) is not far behind either.
Sitting fourth in scoring is star defenseman Miro Heiskanen (7-32-39), who may very well be the best all-around defenseman in the NHL. None of the names mentioned include guys who have been stars in this league at one point or another, such as Roope Hintz, Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin (currently on IR), or Matt Duchene, amongst others.
They even have a star goaltender in Jake Oettinger, though fortunately, the Jackets will not face him tonight. Casey DeSmith will get the start, as they would rather use Oettinger in Dallas for an inter-divisional back-to-back game tomorrow night.
DeSmith is 10-3-5 this season, with a .911% save percentage, 2.46 goals against average, and one shutout. He has never lost to the Blue Jackets in regulation in his career. He owns a 5-0-1 record, with a .928% svpct and 2.47GAA. Could be a tough nut to crack tonight.
Overall, Dallas will be hard to beat. They've struggled of late, winning just 3 of their last 13 games, but you cannot overlook them because they are one of the top Stanley Cup contenders in the NHL. They're 6th in the league in goals for, and 5th in the league in goals against, and they should be hungry.
The Good Guys
The Jackets actually get some positive news tonight, with both Isac Lundestrom and Mason Marchment set to return to the lineup. They will replace Brendan Gaunce and Zach Aston-Reese.
Lundestrom has been out with a lower body injury since December 22nd. He has 1 goal and 5 points in 35 games this season, but I feel like his defensive game is what this team has missed for the last month.
Marchment last played on January 4th, and the team has sorely missed his offense. In 7 games since being acquired from the Seattle Kraken, he has 5 goals and 7 points. He'll slot right back into the top line, alongside Adam Fantilli and Kirill Marchenko tonight.
starin' down the stars pic.twitter.com/OCIc5RsC7h
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) January 22, 2026
In goal, Jet Greaves will get his first start in 4 games. He looked solid in relief on Tuesday, and the Jacket will need him to be on his game early in this one.
Tonight will be Charlie Coyle's 1000th career NHL game, so hopefully that helps chip in towards some extra effort from the boys.
Three Keys to Success
1. Bring the emotion. I thought the Blue Jackets looked sleepy in Tuesday's game against Ottawa, and they paid for it by giving up two first period goals. I would like to see them come out and compete hard right from the drop of the puck tonight.
2. Pucks on net. Rick Bowness said it best: just shoot the damn thing. Do that, please.
3. Take advantage. The Stars have struggled a bit lately. With their leading scorer out, and their backup goaltender playing this game, there is no excuse. The Jackets should be going for the jugular tonight.
This is the second and final meeting between these two teams this season. In the first game, the Jackets put forth one of their best efforts of the entire season in a 5-1 win in Dallas.
Hopefully they can repeat that tonight. Puck drop is scheduled for just after 7:00 Eastern Time.