The Blue Jackets get another shot at points tonight. They are on the road in Philadelphia, taking on a Flyers team that can still catch them in the standings. Tonight's matchup will be another 4 point game for both teams.
The Jackets lost in Florida on Thursday night, but it was no fault of their own. They dominated the Panthers at 5 on 5, but gave up two power-play goals-including the overtime winner-in a 2-1 losing effort. The good news is, they have points in 8 straight games, a streak they'll need to keep up tonight.
Meanwhile, the Flyers have gone on a bit of a run of their own. They have 6 wins in 9 games since coming back from the Olympic break, a stretch that has them just 5 points out of the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Opponent
Like the Blue Jackets, the Flyers have struggled with consistency for much of this season. They're a team without a clear sense of direction right now, seemingly teetering between wild card contention and a full teardown/rebuild.
At the moment, they are making things interesting. With their hot stretch over the last three weeks, they have 73 points (31-23-11), which has them just 4 back of the Jackets in the standings.
This is a team without any one superstar talent. They get scoring from throughout their lineup, but their leading scorer is Travis Konecny, who has a modest stat line of 24-34-58 in 61 games played. Joining him at the top is Trevor Zegras (22-32-54 in 64gp), then it's a big drop-off to third place.
With Rich Tocchet behind the bench, they have embodied the old school "grind it out" playstyle that you would expect from a team coached by him. As a result of everyone buying into their tighter-checking system, they have found some success late in the year.
Another reason for their run: they are getting great goaltending from Dan Vladar. The 6'5" hulk has a .904% save percentage, 2.50 goals against average, and a 21-11-6 record in his first season in Philadelphia.
It also helps that the Flyers are pretty healthy, with Tyson Foerster being the only major notable player out of their lineup right now. This is their final home game before heading out for the California trip, so I would expect this team to come out firing on all cylinders tonight.
The Good Guys
The Jackets have put together some of their best hockey of the season over the last two games. They've out-shot two of the best teams in the league 54-27 at 5 on 5, taking 3 of 4 points through the Florida trip in the process.
The task tonight will be a little bit different. The Flyers aren't looked upon as an elite team, but they have been scrappy and playing similar hockey to the Jackets of late. The biggest key will be sticking to the game-plan and out-working a team that has been working hard.
We will have to wait until this afternoon to see any lineup changes, and who the starting goaltender is going to be. Elvis Merzlikins has gotten the last two starts and has looked sharp, but we have seen that Rick Bowness does not like to let guys sit for too long and get cold.
Three Keys to Success
1. Intensity. This game could be a bit of a powder keg waiting to go off. Both of these teams have plenty of grit throughout their lineup, and both are fighting for their playoff lives. Don't be surprised if the Flyers come out and play physical. The Blue Jackets need to match their intensity right from the start.
2. Traffic in Philly. One of the reasons the Blue Jackets keep getting shut down by the opposition's goaltending: they aren't getting enough traffic. Screen the goalie, battle for those second and third chances. Score some greasy goals tonight.
3. Just keep finding a way. Doesn't matter if this game is 1-0, or 7-6. Find a way to get two points against the Flyers, preferably in regulation. That could be the final nail in their coffin, and propel the Blue Jackets up into a playoff spot.
Puck drop is scheduled for just after 7:30 Eastern time from Philadelphia. This is the second of three matchups between these two teams this season, with the Blue Jackets winning the first one by a 5-3 final back on January 28th. They play for the last time in 10 days, back in Philly.