Young forward sits as Foligno returns against Blue Jackets

Chicago Blackhawks (22-25-9, 53 pts) @ Columbus Blue Jackets (28-20-7, 63 pts)
6 pm CT – Nationwide Arena
TV: CHSN (Ball/Chelios)
Radio: WGN 720 AM (Wiedeman/Konroyd)

The Chicago Blackhawks and Columbus Blue Jackets will conclude their season series, just five days after their first meeting. The Blue Jackets beat the Blackhawks 4-2 at the United Center last Friday behind Charlie Coyle’s hat trick and four-point night. Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar both scored in the losing effort.

This season has been all about crazy streaks, especially in the Eastern Conference. We’ve seen the Tampa Lightning and Buffalo Sabres go on long winning streaks, and now it’s the Blue Jackets’ turn. They have won six games in a row and are 9-1-0 under new head coach Rick Bowness.

Tonight is a reverse of last week’s meeting, where this time the Blue Jackets played the night before, while the Blackhawks waited for them in Columbus. They beat the New Jersey Devils 3-0 last night. Elvis Merzlikins recorded his first career shutout last night, so Jet Greaves will start tonight. This will be his first career start against the Blackhawks. Sam Lafferty, who is not in the lineup, is the only player on the roster who has faced Greaves.

The Blackhawks will head into the Olympic break after tonight. Teuvo Teravainen and Anders Sorensen will go to Italy for the winter games, while the rest of the team will be off for the next two weeks before practices begin on Feb. 18.

“My take on these, if you play well, you feel good about it,” head coach Jeff Blashill said. “There’s no doubt. It’s an important game, and every game to me is that way, and we kind of approach every game as being super important. Then we learn from it and move on to the next one. So, what you can’t do is, it’s like Christmas a little bit: you can’t go on break early. You have to make sure you’re ready to compete for this game, and we have plenty of time off.”

Nick Foligno Returns

The Blackhawks will have their captain back tonight as Nick Foligno will be back in the lineup after missing the last two games with a mid-body injury. If this game were in any other city than Columbus, Foligno would likely wait until after the break to return. However, the 38-year-old is in the last year of his contract, and this might be his last chance to play in front of a crowd that meant so much to him.

“It’s always special and nice to go back,” Foligno said. “I considered that place home. I kind of grew up there – 10 years becoming the player I am today. I have so many great memories: the people, the organization. So, any time I get the chance to play back there, it’s a special feeling. But, we’ve got a job to do: to feel good going into this break, and know that we’re right there, but we just got to find our game.”

Foligno played 599 games with the Blue Jackets, scoring 142 goals and 334 points. He served as captain from the start of the 2015-16 season until he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2021.

Oliver Moore Bumped Up

After two games centering the fourth line to see if he can be “an energy guy,” Oliver Moore is back in the top six. While Moore’s future could be a bottom-six guy who changes the momentum with his speed and energy while adding some depth scoring, it is far too early in his career to paint him into that role.

“I don’t want to put a limit on his ceiling because none of us know,” Blashill said of Moore. “None of us know what he’s going to be, and I never want to project anyone one way or the other. They get to answer that question on a day-to-day basis as they move through their careers. I’ve watched guys get exponentially better because they work so hard at things, and he’s a guy like that.

“I definitely think his speed, tenacity, skill, and a good brain are qualities that he has that are going to be applied in some fashion. Is he going to be a momentum-type line guy? Is he going to be a top-two line guy? I don’t know those answers yet, but as he keeps playing, we’ll keep figuring it out. We won’t know for a little bit. There are moments when you’re a first-year player when the reality is you’re a little bit surviving. It’s why most guys, outside of the crazy-elite guys, take a couple of years to get comfortable. It’s just like any job you guys have been in. You’re usually better at it once you get more comfortable.”

Ryan Greene Sits

With Foligno back in the lineup, somebody had to come out. That somebody tonight is Ryan Greene, who will be a healthy scratch for the first time after playing in every game up to this point. His scratch is a bit puzzling. His outing against the San Jose Sharks on Monday included “some learning moments,” per Blashill. Greene did not have a single shot attempt and was on the ice for two Sharks goals.

You know who else was on the ice for a Sharks goal? Andre Burakovsky, whose turnover in the offensive zone led to the puck being in his own net moments later. Sound familiar? If Greene isn’t living up to the standards Blashill expects from him, then he should sit. But you can’t tell me Burokovsky has been meeting those standards over the last few games, and yet he is still getting top-six opportunities.

Season Series

1/30 vs CBJ, L 2-4
2/4 @ CBJ

Blackhawks Team Leaders

G-Tyler Bertuzzi (25)
A-Connor Bedard (30)
P-Bedard (53)
PPG-Bertuzzi (9)
GWG-Bedard/Bertuzzi (3)
SOG-Bedard (142)
PIM-Colton Dach (45)

Blue Jackets Team Leaders

G-Zach Werenski/Kirill Marchenko (19)
A-Werenski (42)
P-Werenski (61)
PPG-Dmitri Voronov (7)
GWG-Marchenko (4)
SOG-Werenski (181)
PIM-Mathieu Olivier (62)

Blackhawks Team Stats

GF/G-2.70 (26th)
GA/G-3.14 (19th)
PP%-19.5 (19th)
PK%-85.6 (1st)
SOG/G-24.8 (32nd)
SA/G-29.6 (25th)
FO%-47.1 (29th)
PIM/G-9:41 (25th)

Blue Jackets Team Stats

GF/G-3.09 (18th)
GA/G-3.20 (22nd)
PP%-19.9 (18th)
PK%-76.9 (27th)
SOG/G-30.0 (4th)
SA/G-30.4 (31st)
FO%-50.8 (11th)
PIM/G-7:56 (11th)

Blackhawks Probable Lines

Forwards
Frank Nazar-Connor Bedard-Tyler Bertuzzi
Teuvo Teravainen-Oliver Moore-Andre Burakovsky
Ryan Donato-Jason Dickinson-Ilya Mikheyev
Colton Dach-Nick Foligno-Landon Slaggert

Defensemen
Alex Vlasic-Louis Crevier
Wyatt Kaiser-Sam Rinzel
Matt Grzelcyk-Connor Murphy

Scratched
F-Sam Lafferty, D-Artyom Levshunov, F-Ryan Greene

Injured
None

Blue Jackets Probable Lines

Forwards
Mason Marchment-Adam Fantilli-Isac Lundestrom
Dmitri Voronkov-Sean Monahan-Kent Johnson
Cole Sillinger-Charlie Coyle-Mathieu Olivier
Danton Heinen-Boone Jenner-Miles Wood

Defensemen
Zach Werenski-Damon Severson
Ivan Provorov-Danton Mateychuk
Dante Fabbro-Erik Gubranson

Scratched
D-Egor Zamula, D-Jake Christiansen, F-Kirill Marchenko (illness)

Injured
D-Brendan Smith (knee)

Goaltending Matchup

Spencer Knight (16-15-7, 2.61 GAA, .909 SV%, 3 SO) vs Jet Greaves (17-12-6, 2.69 GAA, .908 SV%, 1 SO)