COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS VS BOSTON BRUINS 01/02/2020 LIVE 7:00 PM ET

Hopes for better health in the new year will be shared by both teams on ice Thursday night when the Boston Bruins host the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The meeting is the first between the clubs this season after the Bruins eliminated the Blue Jackets in six games in the second round of last year's Stanley Cup playoffs. Boston kicks off 2020 atop the Atlantic Division by a wide margin, while Columbus is sixth in the Metropolitan with ground to make up.

What both teams have in common is an abundance of injuries, though it wouldn't show in their recent results. The Bruins are on an eight-game points streak (4-0-4), and the Blue Jackets haven't lost in regulation in 11 straight (7-0-4) dating back to Dec. 7.

Columbus extended that run on New Year's Eve in triumphant fashion, with Zach Werenski completing a hat trick with two third-period goals in a 4-1 victory over the Florida Panthers. Werenski became the first Blue Jackets defenseman to accomplish the feat since 2006.

"It was pretty cool," Werenski said. "After I scored that third goal, I looked at the crowd and I saw hats coming down. I've never had that feeling before."

Also caught up in the moment was rookie goaltender Elvis Merzlikins, who celebrated finishing off the first victory of his young career with a leap into the arms of teammate Nick Foligno after the final horn sounded.

"He looked calm, collected, how he needs to play," said Foligno of Merzlikins, who had 36 saves in the win. "I'm not a goalie coach by any means, but you can tell when a guy looks comfortable in his own skin, and I think it gave us a lot of confidence in front of him."

Columbus will be counting on that confidence from Merzlikins with usual starter Joonas Korpisalo out four to six weeks following knee surgery. The Blue Jackets have more than 10 players sidelined with injuries, including Alexandre Texier, who exited Tuesday with lumbar stress fracture. The team placed him on injured reserve on Wednesday and said he is out indefinitely.

The Bruins are also beat up, placing key defensemen Torey Krug (upper body) and Charlie McAvoy (lower body) on injured reserve within the last week. Krug is expected to play Thursday, while McAvoy's availability is less definite.

"Charlie could be (ready to go), but I think Torey was farther along," said coach Bruce Cassidy.

Defenseman Connor Clifton (upper body) and center David Krejci (lower body) sat out a 3-2 shootout loss to the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday. The defeat dropped Boston to 0-6 in shootouts this season.

"It's big points that you let slip by," Patrice Bergeron said. "We've got to rectify that."

The Bruins and Blue Jackets won't wait as long for their next meeting, set for Jan. 14 in Columbus. Boston has won three of the last five regular-season meetings between the clubs.

The Bruins beat the Blue Jackets 4-2 in their best-of-seven series during last year's postseason after Columbus stunned the top-seeded Tampa Bay Lightning with a first-round sweep.