Game 70 Preview: Flyers vs. Blue Jackets
Mike Yeo's Philadelphia Flyers (22-36-11) will host Brad Larsen's Columbus Blue Jackets (32-32-6) at the Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday evening. Game time is 7:00 p.m. EDT (NBCSP+, 93.3 WMMR).
Tuesday's game is the front end of a home-and-home set. The scene will shift to Nationwide Arena in Columbus on Thursday to conclude the three-game season series between the teams. On Jan. 20 at the Wells Fargo Center, the Flyers suffered a 2-1 regulation loss. Oliver Bjorkstrand and Patrik Laine scored for the Blue Jackets. Now-former Flyer Gerry Mayhew tallied the lone Flyers goal.
The Flyers enter this game coming off a 4-3 (1-0) shootout win against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Sunday despite letting a 3-0 third period lead slip away.
Kevin Hayes scored the winning shootout goal; the Flyers' first shooter to convert an opportunity in 18 tries this season. Cam York (3rd of the season), Owen Tippett (1st as a Flyer) and Joel Farabee (16th) scored in regulation. Martin Jones authored 43 saves in regulation and overtime and then went 3-for-3 in shootout stops.
Scott Laughton will return to the Flyers lineup after a 12-game absence due to a concussion. Carter Hart will get the start in goal.
The Blue Jackets are playing the second half of a back-to-back set, while the Flyers had a complete off-day on Monday. Both teams, however, will be playing their third game in four nights. Philadelphia may have a slight fatigue factor edge on paper due to the Monday off-day but the recent schedules are unlikely to significantly impact the comparative energy levels of the two teams heading into the game. Thursday's rematch will be a level playing field in that regard.
The Blue Jackets are coming off a chippy 3-2 overtime home loss to the Boston Bruins on Monday. Jake DeBrusk scored twice for Boston, including the overtime winner. Emil Bemström (5th) and Zack Werenski (11th) scored in regulation for Columbus. Longtime Flyers right wing Jakub Voracek earned his 45th and 46th assists of the season on the Bemström goal and also picked up 12 minutes worth of penalties on a roughing minor and a 10-minute misconduct. The Werenski goal withstood a Boston challenge.
Winless in their last seven games (0-4-3), Columbus was held to a modest 22 shots for the game on Monday. Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins stopped 34 of 37 shots by Boston.
For an in-depth look at Tuesday night's matchups, statistical trends and more, see the
Five Things preview on PhiladelphiaFlyers.com.
PROJECTED LINEUPS
FLYERS
25 James van Riemsdyk - 13 Kevin Hayes - 74 Owen Tippett
86 Joel Farabee - 48 Morgan Frost - 89 Cam Atkinson
49 Noah Cates - 21 Scott Laughton - 11 Travis Konecny
23 Oskar Lindblom - 44 Nate Thompson - 38 Patrick Brown
9 Ivan Provorov - 45 Cam York
6 Travis Sanheim - 70 Rasmus Ristolainen
3 Keith Yandle - 47 Ronnie Attard
79 Carter Hart
[35 Martin Jones]
Scratches: 8 Kevin Connauton (healthy), 24 Nick Seeler (lower-body injury), 17 Zack MacEwen (head).
BLUE JACKETS
Jakub Voracek - Jack Roslovic - Patrik Laine
Gustav Nyquist - Cole Sillinger - Emil Bemström
Justin Danforth - Sean Kuraly - Oliver Bjorkstrand
Eric Robinson - Brendan Gaunce - Carson Meyer
Zach Werenski - Andrew Peeke
Vladislav Gavrikov - Jake Bean
Jake Christiansen - Adam Boqvist
Elvis Merzlikins
[Jean-Francois Berube]
Scratches: Gavin Bayruether, Gavin Bayreuther, Gabriel Carlsson, Dean Kukan.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
Join the Discussion:
»