Blue Jackets Aim to Extend Point Streak Against Struggling Islanders

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Blue Jackets, riding a seven-game point streak, face off against the New York Islanders in a crucial Metropolitan Division matchup on Monday. The Blue Jackets are coming off a hard-fought 1-0 shootout loss to the New York Rangers, a game that ended their six-game winning streak but extended their point streak.

Despite the loss, Columbus remains optimistic. Goaltender Daniil Tarasov earned his first career shutout, and the team showcased disciplined defensive play. Head coach Dean Evason praised his team’s effort, stating, “It was a great hockey game. Both teams played hard. The desperation was there by both teams. I really liked how our hockey club stayed within ourselves.”

The Blue Jackets have tightened their defensive game, allowing just six goals over their last five games, their best defensive stretch since January 2020. Forward James van Riemsdyk highlighted the team’s focus on smart play, saying, “We’ve been doing a great job with that.”

Columbus now faces a challenging stretch with eight of their next nine games on the road, starting with the Islanders. Defenseman Damon Severson emphasized the importance of maintaining their road performance, stating, “We’re trying to get our road record where we want it to be to help us be successful down the line.”

The Islanders, meanwhile, are struggling with special teams, ranking last in the NHL in both power play and penalty kill efficiency. Despite these challenges, they have shown recent improvement, with their penalty kill not allowing a power-play goal in the last six games and their power play ending a 14-game scoreless streak with two goals against Philadelphia.

Islanders’ captain Anders Lee leads the team with 20 goals and 36 points, supported by Bo Horvat and Kyle Palmieri. Goaltender Ilya Sorokin, expected to start, has a 13-14-4 record with a 2.87 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage.

Columbus will look to continue their strong play, with key contributions from Zach Werenski, who leads NHL defensemen in goals and is second in points, and Kirill Marchenko, who has 33 points in his last 27 games. The Blue Jackets’ offense ranks sixth in the league with 3.30 goals per game, and their defensemen lead the NHL with 30 goals this season.

As both teams vie for crucial points in the playoff race, the Blue Jackets aim to extend their point streak while the Islanders seek to overcome their special teams woes and climb the standings.