The Blue Jackets will try to win their fourth game in a row-and eighth in their last nine overall-tonight in Chicago. It's another opportunity for a vital two points in the standings.
They tried to give two points (or at least one point) away on Wednesday, blowing a 3-1 third period lead to the Philadelphia Flyers. But, Sean Monahan salvaged the win with a late regulation goal, keeping their playoff dreams alive for the time being.
Thanks to that win, the Jackets leap-frogged four teams in the standings. But, things went about as poorly as they could on the out-of-town scoreboard last night, and two of those teams jumped right back over them.
Tonight, they will face the Chicago Blackhawks for the first of two meetings this season.
The Opponent
The Hawks are a young team that is still trying to find their identity. They have won just three of their last ten games, and currently own a 21-24-9 record (51 points). That has them 12th in the Western Conference.
But, don't let that record fool you. This is a team that can catch you off guard on any given night. They are led by one of the game's premier young snipers, Connor Bedard.
He has 21 goals and 50 points in just 41 games played. With him in the lineup, they are a much better team than they were when he was out. And, unlike last year, he has some support. Tyler Bertuzzi has 25 goals and 39 points in 51 games.
They also have Andrei Burakovsky, Frank Nazar, and Teuvo Teravainen in scoring roles. They have just enough talent to score goals if you aren't paying attention.
And, they have been better defensively this season as well. Though, that comes with the asterisk that they were the second-worst defensive team in the NHL last year.
A big part of their lower team goals against average is goaltender Spencer Knight, who is 15-14-7 this season with a .910% save percentage and 2.49 goals against average, along with 3 shutouts.
He gets the nod tonight, which will give him his third career start against the Jackets. In the previous two, he's 2-0-0 with a total of 4 goals allowed, and a .944% save percentage. It probably won't be easy to score this evening.
The Blackhawks played last night in Pittsburgh, losing 6-2. They should be ready to play tonight, and the Jackets can ill afford to overlook them. A loss would mean a 4-point swing in the standings with those Penguins, who they are trying to catch.
The Good Guys
The good news is, the Jackets come into this one playing their best hockey in years. It's not just the fact that they are winning games. It's the way they are winning them.
Quickly, this team is figuring out how to defend under head coach Rick Bowness. That's been their issue for years, but aside from a few carefree mistakes on Wednesday, they completely cut off the offense of the Philadelphia Flyers.
They need to stay within that game tonight. The last thing they want to do is get into a track meet against Connor Bedard on his home ice. The best bet would be making this a heavy, boring game for the fans at the United Center.
Tonight, Jake Christiansen will draw back into the lineup in place of Egor Zamula. And, Elvis Merzlikins will get his second consecutive start in goal.
Da lines pic.twitter.com/oJF4tYCkOC
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) January 30, 2026
Only one player is missing from either lineup, and that's Blue Jackets defenseman Dante Fabbro, who continues to work his way back from an undisclosed injury. No excuses for either team tonight, so it should be a good game.
Three Keys to Success
1. Play grown man hockey. The Blackhawks lineup is full of young players who are looking to find their way in this league. The Blue Jackets should use their experience to stay above the puck and be patient. That should be their plan every night.
2. Contain #98. Connor Bedard is one of a handful of players in this league who can score with the flick of his wrists. The best way to slow him down: keep someone in his back pocket all night.
3. Just keep winning, baby. Low scoring, high scoring, we don't care. Just find a way, as you have done for the last couple of weeks.
This one is in the Central time zone, so it's a late start. Puck drop is scheduled for just after 8:30 Eastern. Let's go Jackets!