Early look The full preview opens on Thursday 21 January, three days before puck drop, with the expected goalies, the latest team news and game-day prices. Until then this page shows the matchup as it stands.
Early look · NHL 2026-27

Anaheim Ducks at Columbus Blue Jackets: game preview

Puck drop24 Jan · 5:00 PM ET
VenueNationwide Arena
All-time meetings75 completed
BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26
The thesis

Two clubs level on last season's points

Anaheim finished last season 18th in the league on 92 points. Columbus finished 17th on 92.

Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.

Head-to-head

Meeting number 76

Across 75 completed games, Anaheim lead the head-to-head 40-25-10.

All-time record40-25-10Anaheim's record in the series
Meetings played75This is number 76
2025-26 series—
Last 53-2Anaheim
DateResultShotsPower playWinner
20 Dec 2025CBJ 3 – ANA 4——ANA
16 Dec 2025ANA 3 – CBJ 4 OT——CBJ
14 Dec 2024ANA 4 – CBJ 3 OT——ANA
10 Nov 2024CBJ 2 – ANA 4——ANA
21 Feb 2024CBJ 7 – ANA 4——CBJ
Head-to-head finder

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

DateAnaheimColumbus
16 Dec 202520-12-2 · 42 pts5th14-13-6 · 34 pts24th
20 Dec 202521-13-2 · 44 pts5th14-15-6 · 34 pts26th

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 16 Dec 2025, Anaheim were 5th in the league and Columbus 24th. By 20 Dec 2025 it was 5th and 26th.


Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Columbus out-attempted Anaheim 127 to 121

Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.

Anaheim Ducks

121 att · 55 on goal · 7 G · 12.7%
Crease6 att · 0 G
Slot47 att · 5 G
Wing47 att · 1 G
Point14 att · 1 G
Neutral zone7 att · 0 G

Columbus Blue Jackets

127 att · 54 on goal · 7 G · 13.0%
Crease12 att · 2 G
Slot53 att · 3 G
Wing51 att · 2 G
Point9 att · 0 G
Neutral zone2 att · 0 G
GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Anaheim have created the better chances, last 10 games

Shot quality both ways: expected goals weigh every unblocked attempt by its chance of scoring. Finishing above zero means more goals than the chances.

AnaheimColumbus
2.19xG for per game2.43
3.49xG against per game2.78
38.6%xG share46.7%
+2.6FinishingGoals minus expected goals+2.1
+2.0GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed−1.4

This season: 2 games for Anaheim, 2 for Columbus. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.

Every team’s xG →


Special teams

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

This season's rates first, then 2025-26 and the last meetings between the two. Power-play chances are counted from the penalty log with coincidental minors cancelled; faceoffs are each club's wins over draws taken.

All bars share one scale · 0–100%SeasonLast meetings

Anaheim

Small sample
Power play · 2026-2750.0%
Power play · 2025-2618.6% · 23rd
Power play · last 5 meetings—
Penalty kill · 2026-2785.7%
Penalty kill · 2025-2676.4% · 27th
Faceoffs · 2026-2743.9% · 50/114
Drawn · 2026-276 (3.00/gm)
Drawn · last meetings0 (0.00/gm)
Shorthanded · 2026-277 (3.50/gm)
PP goals · last meetings0

Columbus

Small sample
Power play · 2026-2740.0%
Power play · 2025-2618.9% · 22nd
Power play · last 5 meetings—
Penalty kill · 2026-2766.7%
Penalty kill · 2025-2676.0% · 28th
Faceoffs · 2026-2755.9% · 71/127
Drawn · 2026-275 (2.50/gm)
Drawn · last meetings0 (0.00/gm)
Shorthanded · 2026-279 (4.50/gm)
PP goals · last meetings0

Skaters

Skaters to watch

Each club's top three forwards and defencemen by points this season, with 2025-26 one tap away.

PlayerGPGAPP/GP
91Leo Carlsson21452.50
61Cutter Gauthier22242.00
64Mikael Granlund21121.00
89Matthew Knies22242.00
3Charlie Coyle20331.50
91Kent Johnson21121.00
Points leaders
PlayerGPGAPP/GP
67Tristan Luneau20110.50
47Noah Warren20110.50
8Zach Werenski20221.00
36Emil Andrae20110.50
Defencemen stats

Goaltending

Who has stopped this matchup

Save percentage in the last meetings by goalie. Starters are confirmed on game day.

Expected startersAn estimate until the teams confirmEvery game tonight →

Expected starter after their game on 23 Jan: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Expected starter after their game on 23 Jan: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Anaheim crease

ANA · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 21 Jan

Lukas Dostal.9182 GP · 2-0-0 · GSAx +2.0

No appearances against Columbus in the last meetings.

Columbus crease

CBJ · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 21 Jan

Jet Greaves.8772 GP · 1-1-0 · GSAx −1.4

No appearances against Anaheim in the last meetings.


Totals

Scoring rates point to about 6.5 goals

No total is posted yet: it arrives with the game-day prices. Until then, the scoring rates and the recent meetings set the range.

Goals in the last 5 meetings

20 Dec 20257 · CBJ 3–4 ANA
16 Dec 20257 · ANA 3–4 CBJ
14 Dec 20247 · ANA 4–3 CBJ
10 Nov 20246 · CBJ 2–4 ANA
21 Feb 202411 · CBJ 7–4 ANA

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

Team26-27 GF26-27 GA25-26 GF25-26 GA
Anaheim3.502.503.333.51
Columbus3.503.503.093.09

Goals for and against per game. The estimate averages each team’s scoring with the other’s goals allowed, and leans on 2025-26 until a team has played 20 games.

Scoring rates suggest6.5Goals in this game
Last 5 meetings7.6Goals per game
Line—No total posted yet
Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

3 on the injury lists

Anaheim · injuries

Drew HellesonLower BodyIRReturn7 Oct
Ian MooreLower BodyIRReturn16 Oct
Troy TerryHipIRReturn21 Nov

Columbus · injuries

No players listed.

1 Oct · ANA

Signed D Tristan Luneau to a six-year contract extension.

30 Sep · ANA

Reassigned C Roger McQueen and C Cruz Lucius to San Diego (AHL). Recalled D Noah Warren, D Ian Mitchell and D Tristan Luneau from San Diego. Placed D Drew Helleson on injured reserve. Moved RW Troy Terry from the non-roster list to long-term injured reserve.

27 Sep · ANA

Placed G Laurent Brossoit and D Travis Mitchell on waivers.

6 Oct · CBJ

Placed LW Mikael Pyyhtia on waivers.

1 Oct · CBJ

Placed D Ivan Provorov on injured reserve.

27 Sep · CBJ

Assigned G Pheonix Copley to Cleveland (AHL).

Injury report
#15Nikita KlepovRound 1 · SaginawRW
#28Marcus NordmarkRound 1 · Djurgarden Jr.LW
#45Jayden KurtzRound 2 · RogersD
#50Mathis PrestonRound 2 · VancouverRW
Full draft
#14Oscar HemmingRound 1 · Boston CollegeLW
#94Alessandro Di IorioRound 3 · SarniaC
#121Evan JardineRound 4 · YoungstownLW
#142Parker SnellRound 5 · EdmontonG
Full draft

Updated after every final