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Merzlikins to start for Columbus Blue Jackets at Dallas Stars plus how to watch, lineups
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- Merzlikins to start for Columbus Blue Jackets at Dallas Stars plus how to watch, lineups
Looking to pull even with a .500 record, the Blue Jackets (2-3-0) will make only one lineup change Oct. 21 against the Dallas Stars .
They'll stick to their goalie rotation at American Airlines Center in Dallas , Texas, going back to Elvis Merzlikins (1-1-0), while Dallas will start Jake Oettinger (3-1-0) in net. Merzlikins has an inflated 3.54 goals-against average through two appearances but has stopped 80 of 87 shots for a robust .920 save percentage.
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Oettinger has a 2.95 GAA and .905 save percentage for the Stars (3-2-0).
Dallas will be without two key forwards. Jamie Benn is recovering from a collapsed lung and center Matt Duchene , who played for the Blue Jackets in 2018-19, is out for unspecified reasons. Rookie Justin Hryckowian will draw into the lineup for Duchene.
Blue Jackets center Boone Jenner lines up for a face off during Columbus' 6-4 win over the Stars on Feb. 25.
Columbus Blue Jackets broadcast options vs Dallas Stars
Here are the TV and radio broadcast options for the Blue Jackets' game against the Stars at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
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Starts:8 p.m., Oct. 21, 2025
TV:FanDuel Sports Network Columbus via cable, streaming services and FanDuel Sports Network app; broadcast starts at 7:30 p.m. with a pregame show; Steve Mears with play-by-play, former Blue Jackets forward Jody Shelley with analysis, Dave Metzold and former Blue Jackets defenseman Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre with pregame, postgame and intermission commentary/analysis.
Radio: 97.1 FM The Fan , stations throughout Ohio/West Virginia via the Blue Jackets Radio Network , Columbus Blue Jackets app ; Bob McElligott with play-by-play, Dylan Tyrer with pregame and postgame shows.
Stars center Roope Hintz (24) and Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Kirill Marchenko chase the puck during a Feb. 2 game.
Columbus Blue Jackets at Dallas Stars betting odds
DraftKings says the Blue Jackets are underdogs at +164 and the Stars are favored at –198; FanDuel gives Columbus +158 and Dallas -192 on the money line; BetMgM has the money line set at +165 for the Jackets -200 for the Stars.
Blue Jackets defenseman Ivan Provorov moves the puck around Stars left wing Jamie Benn on Feb. 25.
Columbus Blue Jackets at Dallas Stars matchup
According to Natural Stat Trick, the Blue Jackets have 5-on-5 edges in attempts (49% to 44%), unblocked attempts (48% to 47%), shots (48% to 46%), goals-for percentage (69% to 52%), expected goals-for percentage (49% to 48%), scoring chances (50% to 47%) and high-danger goals-for percentage (83% to 46%).
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The Stars have more high-danger looks (48% to 44%) and better success on special teams with advantages in power play (33.3% to 7.7%) and penalty kill (72.2% to 55.6%). The Blue Jackets' special teams each rank 32ndin the NHL, which is dead last.
Here's how the Blue Jackets are expected to line up against the Stars:
Columbus Blue Jackets lineup at Dallas Stars
Forwards
Dmitri Voronkov – Sean Monahan – Kirill Marchenko
Boone Jenner – Adam Fantilli – Kent Johnson
Cole Sillinger – Charlie Coyle – Mathieu Olivier
Zach Aston-Reese – Isac Lundeström – Yegor Chinakhov
Defensemen
Zach Werenski – Denton Mateychuk
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Ivan Provorov – Damon Severson
Jake Christiansen – Dante Fabbro
Goalies
Scratched: D Dysin Mayo
Injured: D Erik Gudbranson (upper-body), Miles Wood (upper body)
Stars center Roope Hintz slips on a breakaway at Nationwide Arena on Feb. 25.
Dallas Stars lineup vs Columbus Blue Jackets
Here's how the Stars are expected to line up against the Blue Jackets:
Forwards
Tyler Seguin – Roope Hintz – Mikko Rantanen
Jason Robertson – Wyatt Johnston – Mavrik Bourque
Justin Hryckowian – Sam Steel – Colin Blackwell
Adam Erne – Radek Faksa – Nathan Bastian
Defensemen
Thomas Harley – Ilya Lyubuskin
Goalies
Jake Oettinger
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Scratched: None
Injured: LW Jamie Benn (collapsed lung LTIR), C Matt Duchene (undisclosed), D Nils Lundkvist (lower body, week-to-week), C Oskar Bäck (undisclosed)
Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com and @BrianHedger.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins to start vs Dallas Stars
