Columbus Blue Jackets Set to Clash with Seattle Kraken at Nationwide Arena

As the Columbus Blue Jackets gear up to host the Seattle Kraken at Nationwide Arena, fans are looking forward to what promises to be an electrifying match-up. The Blue Jackets have shown a mixed bag of performances in their recent outings, but there's a sense that they could turn the tide in their upcoming game scheduled for January 14.

In their last encounter with the Toronto Maple Leafs on December 24, CBJ faced a tough defeat with a final score of 4-1. Despite putting up 28 shots on goal and blocking an impressive 13 shots, they were only able to convert once. Their power play opportunities didn't bear fruit either; despite having four chances, they failed to capitalize on any. This lackluster performance was further marred by a shooting percentage of just under 4 percent and losing over half of their faceoffs.

However, looking back at another recent game against the Buffalo Sabres on December 20 provides a glimmer of hope for CBJ fans. The Blue Jackets dominated with an incredible offensive display, netting nine goals from just 34 shots – an astonishing shooting percentage of over 26 percent. Their aggressive play also saw them take away four times and block sixteen shots.

The upcoming clash against the Kraken will be pivotal for CBJ as they aim to bounce back from their loss against the Maple Leafs and replicate their high-scoring performance seen in Buffalo. The key will be maintaining strong defensive play while improving faceoff win percentages which have been less than stellar recently.

Seattle Kraken comes into this game with its own set of challenges but cannot be underestimated as any NHL team has the potential to surprise on any given night.

For Columbus Blue Jackets fans eager to see if their team can harness that high-scoring energy once again or if defensive woes will continue plaguing them, all eyes will be on Nationwide Arena come January 14th at midnight GMT (7 PM Eastern Time). Fans can catch all the action live through various broadcast networks including ESPN+ online nationally or BSOH channel number 660 locally in Columbus and ROOT Sports NW channel number 687 for those following from Seattle's locale.