The Columbus Blue Jackets head south to face the Florida Panthers in a battle of middling Eastern Conference squads desperate for consistency. Columbus (13-9-5) enters on a two-game win streak after snapping a four-game skid, looking to build momentum on a tough three-games-in-four-days road trip against playoff-caliber foes. The Panthers (12-12-2), two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, are mired in a four-game losing streak—their longest of the season—and have dropped five straight at home, scoring just five goals across those contests. This afternoon tilt at Amerant Bank Arena could hinge on Columbus’ young offense exploiting Florida’s injury-riddled blue line versus the Panthers’ urgency to salvage a dismal December start.
Venue and Game Details
Location: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise, FL (1 Panther Parkway, Sunrise, FL 33323). The Panthers’ fortress seats 19,250 for hockey and boasts a humid, high-energy vibe, but Florida’s home woes (8-6-2, -0.15 goal differential) have muted the roar lately.
Puckdrop: 3:30 p.m. ET.
Broadcast: ESPN+ (national stream), FanDuel Sports Network Ohio (Columbus), Scripps Sports (Florida), Sportsnet (Canada). Doors open at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Team Records and Standings
Columbus holds the eight seed in the Metropolitan Division with a +6 goal differential, leaning on balanced scoring but leaky defense (28th in GA/GP). Florida scrapes by in the Atlantic’s seven slot, with elite special teams (top-5 PP/PK) masking goaltending inconsistencies and a -6 differential.
| Team | Record (W-L-OTL) | Points | GF/GP | GA/GP | Home | Away | Streak |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | 13-9-5 | 31 | 2.96 | 3.30 | 6-3-3 | 7-6-2 | W2 |
| Florida Panthers | 12-12-2 | 26 | 2.92 | 3.15 | 8-6-2 | 4-6-0 | L4 |
Columbus ranks 12th in goals scored (80) and 20th in shots allowed (31.0/GP), while Florida is 17th in power-play efficiency (17.9%) but 24th in penalty kill (80.5%).
Recent Team Forms
The Blue Jackets have clawed back into contention with back-to-back wins, outscoring foes 11-8 while firing 65 shots. Their underlying metrics (51.2% Corsi) suggest sustainability, but they’ve allowed 3+ goals in seven of their last 10. Expect a bounce from Adam Fantilli, who has five goals in his last six games.
The Panthers’ slide is alarming: shut out twice in four losses, averaging 1.25 goals/game at home during the skid. Sergei Bobrovsky’s .886 SV% belies his pedigree, but the defense has hemorrhaged 14 high-danger chances per game lately. Florida’s 5-5-0 in their prior 10 offers hope, but urgency peaks with a Sunday date against the Islanders looming.
| Blue Jackets Last 5 Games | Result | Score | Key Notes |
| Dec 4 vs DET | W (SO) | 6-5 | Fantilli 2G; Merzlikins 28 saves in career win #100. |
| Dec 1 vs NJD | W | 5-3 | Marchenko 2G; snapped four-game skid. |
| Nov 28 @ TOR | L | 2-4 | Defensive lapses; 29 shots surrendered. |
| Nov 26 @ CGY | L | 3-5 | Monahan 2A; power play 0/3. |
| Nov 24 vs PHI | L | 1-3 | Low-event loss; Werenski sole bright spot. |
| Panthers Last 5 Games | Result | Score | Key Notes |
| Dec 4 vs NSH | L (OT) | 1-2 | Verhaeghe G; Bobrovsky .931 SV%, but OT dagger. |
| Dec 2 vs TOR | L | 1-4 | Reinhart G; offense stagnant (26 SOG). |
| Nov 28 vs CGY | L | 3-5 | Marchand 2G; home skid hits four. |
| Nov 26 vs PHI | L | 2-4 | Lundell A; PK allows two PPG. |
| Nov 24 @ NSH | W | 8-3 | Offensive explosion; last win before slide. |
Injury Report
Injuries are piling up for both, but Florida’s absences gut their core leadership and physicality more severely. Columbus misses captain Boone Jenner, thinning their center depth.
| Team | Player | Position | Status | Est. Return | Notes |
| CBJ | Boone Jenner | C | IR (Out) | Dec 11 | Upper body; 10 pts in 16GP, key faceoff man (52%). |
| CBJ | Mathieu Olivier | RW | IR (Out) | TBD | Upper body; 9 pts in 23GP, physical forechecker. |
| CBJ | Erik Gudbranson | D | Out | TBD | Hip; limited to 4GP, shutdown role. |
| FLA | Aleksander Barkov | C | IR (Out) | TBD | Knee; hasn’t played; 0 pts in 0GP (season debut pending?). |
| FLA | Matthew Tkachuk | LW | IR-NR (Out) | Dec 15 | Undisclosed; massive loss (expected 20+ pts). |
| FLA | Dmitry Kulikov | D | IR (Out) | TBD | Upper body; 0 pts in 2GP, veteran stabilizer. |
| FLA | Tomas Nosek | C | Out | Jan 4 | Knee; depth piece. |
| FLA | Cole Schwindt | RW | IR (Out) | Jan 12 | Arm; 2 pts in 10GP. |
| FLA | Jonah Gadjovich | LW | Out | TBD | Upper body; enforcer missing grit. |
| FLA | Eetu Luostarinen | C | Day-to-Day | Dec 6? | Burns (barbecue accident); practiced Friday, 10 pts in 18GP—big if available. |
Elvis Merzlikins (.894 SV%, 3.30 GAA) likely starts for Columbus; Bobrovsky (10-8-1, .886 SV%) for Florida.
Key Player Matchups
With Florida’s top centers sidelined, Columbus’ youth could feast in transition. Watch these clashes for game-changers:
Adam Fantilli (CBJ, 11G-8A) vs. Anton Lundell (FLA): Fantilli’s speed (18:05 TOI) tests Lundell’s defensive acumen (54.2% faceoffs). Fantilli has 5G in 6GP; Lundell (14 pts) must anchor without Barkov.
Zach Werenski (CBJ, 9G-20A) vs. Florida’s Top Pair (Ekblad-Forsling): Werenski’s 29 pts (team-high) exploit gaps sans Kulikov; he has 15 pts in 25 career vs. FLA. Ekblad/Forsling combine for 4.2 defensive shares but allow 11.5 HD chances/GP lately.
Kirill Marchenko (CBJ, multi-goal threat) vs. Sam Reinhart (FLA, 24 pts): Marchenko’s shootout magic (Dec 4 winner) meets Reinhart’s sniper touch (top-line driver). Reinhart has 3G in last 5; Marchenko thrives on the rush (51.3% Corsi).
Sean Monahan (CBJ, 5G-11A) vs. Sam Bennett (FLA): Monahan’s faceoff edge (54.3%) battles Bennett’s physicality. Monahan has 14 pts in 19 vs. FLA; Bennett’s line generates 3.2 xGF/60.
Elvis Merzlikins (CBJ) vs. Brad Marchand (FLA, 15G-12A): Merzlikins’ rebound control (.918 SV% career) vs. Marchand’s netfront chaos (27 pts, team-high). Marchand has 2G in skid but feasts on chaos.
Bonus: Dmitri Voronkov (CBJ, 9G-9A) could target Florida’s depleted bottom-six.
Series History
These clubs have squared off 53 times (regular season), with Columbus holding a slim 26-24-3 edge overall (49.1% win rate). However, Florida dominates lately: 8-2 in the last 10, including a perfect 4-0 in 2024-25 (outscoring CBJ 16-6). The Panthers’ eight-game win streak vs. Columbus dates to 2022, fueled by superior goaltending (.925 SV% combined). Columbus is 2-3 in their last five road games at Amerant Bank Arena.
| Last 5 Meetings | Date | Result (FLA Home unless noted) | Score | Key Stat |
| Mar 20, 2025 | @ CBJ | W (FLA) | 1-0 (OT) | Bobrovsky shutout; low-shot duel (29 SOG). |
| Mar 6, 2025 | FLA Home | W (FLA) | 3-0 | Reinhart 2G; Panthers blank CBJ. |
| Oct 15, 2024 | @ CBJ | W (FLA) | 4-3 | Marchand GWG; high-event (60+ SOG). |
| Apr 11, 2024 | FLA Home | W (FLA) | 4-0 | Bobrovsky 25 saves; defensive masterclass. |
| Dec 10, 2023 | @ CBJ | W (FLA) | 5-2 | Bennett 2G; FLA outshoots 35-19. |
Florida wins 80% when holding opponents under 25 shots (CBJ avg: 30.4).
Betting Trends
Moneyline Trends: Panthers 8-6 as home favorites; Blue Jackets 7-6 as road dogs. 62% bets on FLA ML.
Total Trends: Under 6.5 in 6 of FLA’s last 10; Over in 7 of CBJ’s last 10 road games. League avg: 6.1 goals/game.
Game Odds
Columbus Blue Jackets 6.5
Florida Panthers – 162
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, December 5, 2025
