According to Fox Sports Ohio, Columbus' 7-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday was viewed in about 38,000 homes in the region. In the final 30 minutes of the broadcast, the number of viewing households jumped to 55,000.
The game's 4.1 household rating, or the percent of total households that tuned in to the game, was the highest regular-season rating the club has drawn in seven years, per Evan Weese of Columbus Business First.
The Blue Jackets have not generated those kind of viewing numbers since clinching their first playoff berth in a game against Chicago back in 2009.
Columbus vaulted into a tie with the Blackhawks for first in the overall standings with the win in front of a sellout crowd of 19,113, and will host the Montreal Canadiens on Friday.
For the time being, many eyes are on this suddenly successful team.
Speaking with TSN on Friday, the Team Canada captain commented on the decision by USA Hockey to leave Alex DeBrincat off its final roster.
"It's their decision," Strome said. "I think it's good for us that he's not there. (He's got) a lot of goals. A little strange decision, but they obviously wanted to go a certain way with their team and he wasn't part of it.
"I feel bad for him, but at the same time I'm playing for Canada right now."
A native of Farmington Hills, Mich., DeBrincat has scored 30 goals and 30 assists through 28 games this season with the OHL's Erie Otters, where he is teammates with Strome.
The Chicago Blackhawks selected DeBrincat 39th overall in last year's NHL draft.
Practices postponed in rinks in the surrounding area, it's the hottest ticket in town inside an inspired hockey community that Matthews is validating with his performances thousands of miles away. In the biggest market of its kind.
For his part, Mike Babcock won't take from the dramatic effect.
Mike Babcock will give Auston Matthews the opening faceoff tonight in Arizona.
The pews will be packed with hundreds of young hockey players and fans that look up to "Papi" - as Matthews is known as in his hometown - but there will be a few in attendance that he's particularly excited to perform in front of.
Matthews told TSN's Kristen Shilton that having his grandparents see him play in the NHL for the first time will be "pretty great."
We imagine for the Matthews family, this entire holiday season will be much the same.
The Hurricanes and Red Wings were originally scheduled to play Dec. 19 at the PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C., but an issue with the arena's ice cooling system ultimately postponed the game.
The two teams met earlier this season, with the Red Wings winning the Oct. 25 game by a 4-2 score. Thomas Vanek, Andreas Athanasiou, and a pair of goals by Dylan Larkin pushed the Red Wings to victory.
Captain Coyote is about to join an exclusive group.
When the Arizona Coyotes and their leader Shane Doan take on the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday, it will mark the 1,500th game of Doan's long-tenured career, one in which he has spent entirely with the same franchise.
With the feat, Doan will become just the sixth player in NHL history to play as many games with one organization:
Player
Team
Games
Gordie Howe
Detroit
1687
Nicklas Lidstrom
Detroit
1564
Alex Delvecchio
Detroit
1549
Ray Bourque
Boston
1518
Steve Yzerman
Detroit
1514
Shane Doan
Arizona
1500
Doan also becomes just the 17th player to reach 1,500 games all together.
It won't be the only mark that Doan could hit Friday. The wily veteran sits one goal shy of 400 for his career, and has the chance to achieve the feat versus Arizona-born Auston Matthews.
"Anyone that gets to 400, I've definitely taken the longest," a humble Doan told reporters. "Anyone that's played this long should have had 400 a long time ago."
Drafted seventh overall by the original Winnipeg Jets in 1995, Doan stayed with the club when it left the Manitoba capital for Phoenix the following year.
Ever since, he's claimed every record in franchise history, as Doan holds the top slot in the team's all-time goals, assists, and points categories, scoring 954 points over the course of his career.
Things have never been lower in the Mile High City.
Indeed, it's been a rocky season for the Colorado Avalanche. Following Thursday's 6-0 stomping by the Toronto Maple Leafs in front of their home fans, the Avalanche fell to 11-20-1 on the season, further cementing their place in the NHL's basement.
The loss comes less than two weeks after the Avs lost by more than a touchdown to the Montreal Canadiens, on the wrong end of an ugly 10-1 score. Things weren't much better against Toronto, where Colorado failed to tally on two separate 5-on-3 man advantages, leaving the Denver faithful - who have witnessed just four home wins on the season - wanting more.
It's been a nightmare month for the Avalanche, who have come away with just two wins through 11 games in December. That stretch has seen the Avs shutout three times, and out scored 42 to 18.
It's a roster that once included Paul Stastny, who left in free agency, and Ryan O'Reilly, who was sent to Buffalo for a package of players including Mikhail Grigorenko and Nikita Zadorov, neither of which has had much impact through two seasons in Denver.
But for all of their offensive options, the Avalanche can't seem to score. And they surely can't defend with so little depth on the back end.
That problem was further compounded following the loss of top blue-liner Erik Johnson, sidelined with a broken leg and not expected back on the ice until February. The Avalanche are 2-7 in his absence. That's left Tyson Barrie and veteran Francois Beauchemin to hold down the fort in the meantime. Really? 50 more games of this?
Season
GP
Record
Points
2016-17
32
11-20-1
23
2015-16
82
39-39-4
82
2014-15
82
39-31-12
90
2013-14
82
52-22-8
112
Things were supposed to get better once Patrick Roy left his coaching post. After all, it was supposedly his system and his style that was holding back the Avalanche. But new coach Jared Bednar, fresh off a Calder Cup win in the AHL, hasn't been swept up with offense of his own. Still, as a first-year on the job, he's safe for now.
And short of a world where the Avalanche can cut loose general manager Joe Sakic, the most prolific player in franchise history, that means change must come elsewhere.
Poor drafting
It starts at the draft table, where the Avalanche have scored with their higher picks. MacKinnon, Landeskog, and Duchene were all taken within the top three, and are now big pieces of the Colorado core. Meanwhile, the likes of Tyson Jost and Mikko Rantanen, both 10th overall picks in the past two drafts, have delivered impressive early returns.
But the team hasn't had nearly as much luck on the second day of the draft, where clubs make their picks in rounds two through seven. Go back a decade and the results just aren't there. Outside of the opening round, only five picks have seen 100 games in the NHL - Barrie, O'Reilly, Kevin Shattenkirk, who was flipped to the St. Louis Blues for Johnson, plus T.J. Galiardi, now in the KHL, and the ever-obscure Bradley Malone.
So what's the answer for the one-time dominant franchise that made the postseason every year in its first 10 after uprooting from Quebec, a stretch which included two Stanley Cups and four other trips to the Conference Finals?
It's a distant past for the Avalanche, winners of a single playoff series since 2007 and just a three-time postseason participant in that time.
Blueline repair
A team that once featured the likes of star blue-liners Rob Blake and Adam Foote, former teammates of Sakic, surely knows the value of defense. After all, it wins championships.
Owners of the league's worst goals against, the Avalanche allow 3.25 goals per game. And at minus-40, their goal differential is a full 10 points worse than the second-last club, and 20 worse than the third-lowest.
That's led to many long nights for goaltenders Calvin Pickard and Semyon Varlamov, who both own save percentages in the .900s, despite standing behind a porous defense. Varlamov, after all, is just two years removed as a Vezina nominee. Surely the 28-year-old's game hasn't fallen off that quickly.
Duchene, Landeskog...name a core player and the rumors will be flying once the roster freeze lifts. Something has to give in Colorado.
Change is needed. Let the Edmonton Oilers serve as a model for the Avalanche. Like Colorado, Edmonton had collected years of scoring talent at the draft table, only to be continuously mired in losses and poor play. That ended last offseason, when the Oilers flipped former first-overall pick Taylor Hall to the New Jersey Devils for defenseman Adam Larsson, who has played a major role in reshaping Edmonton's defensive game.
Today, the Oilers sit fifth in the West, 18 points ahead of the Avalanche, and poised to make their first playoff appearance since 2006.
That is the path forward for the Avalanche, who have the opportunity to repair their ailing blueline, with just three defenders - Johnson, Barrie, and Beauchemin - signed through 2017-18. Depth is badly needed, and perhaps an entire second pairing all together.
That means one of MacKinnon, Landeskog, or Duchene should be on the outs. As captain, Landeskog is likely safe, and the same for MacKinnon, a dynamic talent and former Calder Trophy winner. That makes Duchene the likely candidate.
It's now up to Sakic to find the right trade partner, to not only strengthen his team's blue-line, but return the Avalanche to respectability and the glory days with which he is familiar.
Pitlick suffered the injury in Monday's overtime win against the St. Louis Blues.
The oft-injured winger was beginning to prove himself to be a valuable part of the future in Edmonton, but will now have to overcome another setback to truly make his mark.
Pitlick suffered a lacerated spleen two years ago, and other injuries contributed to him dressing in just 37 games - all in the minor leagues - last season.
This season he scored eight goals and amassed 11 points, seeing some time on Connor McDavid's wing, before suffering the injury.
Who predicted that after finally "arriving" while nose-to-nose with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs that they would go belly up in the season that followed - and rank 25th in the standings when they hosted the All-Star Game? Or when they healed up late that season and finished on a 15-1-1 run, who was it that had them pegged to lose seven straight out the shoot upon return, replace Todd Richards with John Tortorella, and morph into something truly beyond futile?
Surely there wasn't a soul who predicted they'd be the top team in the NHL at the holiday break, this season.
Except delusion has sorta become Columbus' thing.
The Blue Jackets thrashed the defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins on Thursday (a statement win whether they want to admit it), and finally sit alone atop the overall standings as winners of 11 straight games and a team that has avoided a regulation loss across six weeks.
Tortorella's side have scored 108 goals relative to a league-low 64 pulled out of their own net, for a goal differential 11 points better than the next most efficient team. The power play has been outrageous, firing at 27 percent for the season, and at 81.8 percent, its penalty kill is proficient enough to maintain the league's second-best combined special teams. And while their PDO suggests they will have to come down a touch, strong possession metrics indicate the crash won't be too hard.
What's perhaps most amazing is that aside from bolstering a previously shoddy defensive corps with star rookie defender Zach Werenski, this is the same team that was walloped by opponents and critical media and fans alike throughout all of last season.
Brandon Saad's elevated his game to a superstar level after a strong, 30-goal debut season with Columbus. His even-strength points rate is higher than both Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, and he trails only the two megastars and Evgeni Malkin in primary points.
Columbus' scoring leader, though, is Cam Atkinson, owner of the NHL's fourth-best per-game scoring rate behind only Crosby, McDavid, and befallen Tampa Bay Lightning sniper Steven Stamkos. Atkinson collected his league-best 16th power-play point versus Pittsburgh, and has two shorthanded goals to further underscore his specialty teams contributions.
There are career-best projections all over the lineup, from top center Alexander Wennberg to thrifty fourth-line find Sam Gagner. And most importantly, netminder Sergei Bobrovsky has sizzling numbers that compare to his Vezina Trophy campaign in 2013 through 27 starts.
Through a third of the season, and with one game left before the holiday break, the Blue Jackets are soaring at a 129-point pace - which would smash the club record by 36 points.
In the ultra competitive Metropolitan Division, the Blue Jackets cannot afford to sink too low when they inevitably approach a valley in their season. But with the progress made so far, even the sharpest 180 may not be able to prevent this from being the greatest season in their history - even by Blue Jackets standards.
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Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Friday, Dec. 23:
Triple Threat
C Alexander Wennberg (46K), LW Brandon Saad (62K) and RW Cam Atkinson (55K), Blue Jackets (vs. Canadiens): No team is playing better than the Blue Jackets, who come into this one having reeled off 11 wins in a row. Columbus is averaging four goals per game at home on the season, and look to be dodging a bullet as Al Montoya is expected to get the start in goal for Montreal rather than Carey Price.
C Sidney Crosby (74K), LW Conor Sheary (36K) and RW Patric Hornqvist (61K), Penguins (vs. Devils): Any time you can land Crosby for under 80K, you have to do it - especially at home, where the Penguins are a sizzling 14-2-2 and average 3.89 goals per game. Sheary is a low-cost threat playing alongside Crosby, while Hornqvist is dependable and can be had at a discount given his recent struggles.
C Jonathan Toews (59K), LW Artemi Panarin (65K) and D Duncan Keith (45K), Blackhawks (vs. Avalanche): As nice as it would be to roster the entire Chicago first line, Patrick Kane's 92K salary makes that impossible. Instead, opt for two-thirds of the No. 1 unit along with Keith, who plays heavy minutes and should feast on a Colorado team playing the second end of a back-to-back after getting waxed 6-0 by Toronto.
Goalie Breakdown
TARGET - Corey Crawford (95K), Blackhawks (vs. Avalanche): This game is by far the most one-sided on the slate, with Chicago heavily favored to hand Colorado its sixth consecutive defeat. The Avalanche rank 27th in the NHL in road goals per game (2.13), and Crawford comes in at a bit of a bargain in what will be his first game action since Dec. 1. He won't come this cheaply again, so pounce on him.
BARGAIN - Darcy Kemper (76K), Wild (at Rangers): It won't be an easy task for Kuemper, who draws the finale of a back-to-back after Devan Dubnyk stopped 32 shots Thursday in a win over Montreal. But Kemper has been a serviceable backup so far this season, and made 27 saves on 28 shots in a win over Arizona in his last game. Roster him confidently, as his floor is high even if he doesn't get the win.
FADE - Mike Smith (122K), Coyotes (vs. Maple Leafs): It doesn't matter who or where Smith is playing - he shouldn't be the highest-priced player on the Squad Up slate. The Coyotes don't do enough damage on offense to make Smith a guaranteed win candidate, and the Maple Leafs' offense has come alive of late. Look elsewhere for your starting netminder, and spend up at forward instead.
Bargain Plays
C Brandon Dubinsky (40K), Blue Jackets (vs. Canadiens): Dubinsky hasn't been the most prolific member of the Columbus offense this season, but he's in a favorable matchup Friday night and sees plenty of high-leverage ice time as the No. 2 center and a fixture on the second power-play unit. Save here and you can spend up elsewhere.
RW Michael Grabner (26K), Rangers (vs. Wild): Grabner is by no means a sure-fire play given his lack of power-play exposure, but he does see time on the second line and has 14 goals through 34 games while averaging better than 13 minutes of ice time per game. With Kuemper starting in goal for Minnesota, Grabner gets a slight boost.
D Zeno Chara (25K), Bruins (at Hurricanes): Chara is nowhere close to the player he used to be, but he still carries a healthy floor in Squad Up. The 6-foot-9 behemoth has 44 shots on goal, 50 hits and 57 blocked shots so far this season, making him a valuable minimum-salary play even though he has just eight points through 29 games.
Top Fades
C Joe Pavelski (86K), Sharks (vs. Oilers): It isn't that Pavelski is a bad choice, with Edmonton likely a bit tired as it wraps up a three-game pre-Christmas road trip. But the Oilers have surrendered just 2.79 goals per game on the road this season - 12th-fewest in the NHL - and with so many other great center options available, you can fade Pavelski here.
RW Patrick Kane (92K), Blackhawks (vs. Avalanche): The matchup couldn't be better for Kane, who could absolutely tee off against the lowly Avalanche. But Kane simply hasn't been the dominant offensive force he was in 2015-16, and at 28K more than the next-highest RW, you're better off opting for a player with similar skills at a lower cost.
D Shea Weber (53K), Canadiens (at Blue Jackets): Weber is one of the most reliable defensemen in daily fantasy, but he'll likely have his hands full against a Columbus team allowing just 2.13 goals per game at home, the sixth-best rate in hockey. Weber could still do enough to warrant selection without scoring, but so could a host of cheaper defensemen.
Contrarian Options
C Jack Eichel (53K), Sabres (at Islanders): Daily fantasy players have plenty of great centers to choose from on Squad Up, and the majority won't scroll down far enough to find Eichel. But the second-year star has been solid so far this season (five goals, three assists in 11 games) and will be a threat for multiple points against the lowly Islanders.
LW Chris Kunitz (35K), Penguins (vs. Devils): There's an inclination to select Sheary ahead of Kunitz because the former plays alongside Crosby on the top line. But Kunitz represents bigger upside most nights, toiling alongside Evgeni Malkin on the second line while drawing some exposure on the second power-play unit. He's a great play Friday.
RW Radim Vrbata (62K), Coyotes (vs. Maple Leafs): Vrbata is the third highest-priced right winger of the night, and hasn't done much to warrant the sky-high salary. But with 11 points in 15 home games so far this season - and with Toronto starting unproven goaltender Antoine Bibeau - the matchup doesn't get much better for Arizona's top winger.
