The Columbus Blue Jackets and Philadelphia Flyers sit seventh and eighth in the Metropolitan Division, and both teams need a result when they meet Tuesday, Oct. 27 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. This Blue Jackets vs Flyers preview comes with the Flyers at 3-7-3 and the Blue Jackets at 4-5-0, a matchup between two clubs trying to find consistent footing six weeks into the season.
Columbus Blue Jackets Vs Philadelphia Flyers Game Information
- Date: Tuesday, Oct. 27
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Venue: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
- TV/Streaming: ESPN+, NBC Sports Philadelphia, CBJNHL
- Series: Season series opens Oct. 27
By The Numbers
- Goals: Flyers 24, Blue Jackets 21
- Points (team total): Flyers 65, Blue Jackets 59
- Shots on goal: Flyers 295, Blue Jackets 241
- Shooting percentage: Blue Jackets 8.7%, Flyers 8.1%
- Save percentage: Flyers .902, Blue Jackets .887
- Goals against average: Flyers 3.15, Blue Jackets 3.33
- Power-play goals: Flyers 7, Blue Jackets 3
- Faceoff percentage: Blue Jackets 54.7%, Flyers 50.7%
- Penalty minutes: Flyers 125, Blue Jackets 92
Blue Jackets Outlook
Columbus enters at 4-5-0 and has split its last four games, including overtime wins over the New York Rangers and Vegas Golden Knights sandwiched around losses to the Minnesota Wild and Toronto Maple Leafs. The Blue Jackets have been outscored in several of those setbacks but have shown they can win low-scoring games, going 1-0 in overtime against the Rangers on a Kent Johnson goal.
Kent Johnson leads the team with four goals, while Charlie Coyle paces Columbus with seven assists and eight points. The Blue Jackets’ 54.7% faceoff rate is the best mark in this matchup, a number that has helped them control possession even in losses like the 7-3 defeat to Florida. Jet Greaves is the probable starting goalie for Columbus, a projection pending the lineup announcement before puck drop.
Flyers Outlook
Philadelphia sits at 3-7-3 but has won three of its last five, including a stretch of victories over Ottawa, Colorado and Buffalo before a 5-4 loss to Anaheim on Oct. 24. Matvei Michkov leads the Flyers with eight goals and 10 points, while Trevor Zegras has chipped in seven assists.
The Flyers’ injury report is lengthy. Rasmus Ristolainen is out with a hand injury and not expected back until Nov. 11. Cam York, Owen Tippett and Travis Konecny are all on injured reserve with upper-body or lower-body injuries, each carrying a return date of Oct. 27, meaning their statuses for this specific game remain projections rather than confirmed.
Nikita Grebenkin is also on injured reserve with a back injury and has a return date in February. Dan Vladar is the probable starting goalie for Philadelphia.
Key Matchup
Philadelphia’s power play, which has converted seven goals already this season compared to just three for Columbus, will be tested against a Blue Jackets penalty-killing unit that has allowed only 30 goals overall, the fewest in this matchup. With York, Tippett and Konecny all carrying injury designations heading into the game, the Flyers may need secondary scorers to step up if any of that trio is unavailable. Columbus, which owns a sizable edge in faceoff percentage at 54.7% to Philadelphia’s 50.7%, will look to use that edge to limit Flyers possession time and keep the game out of transition, an area where the Blue Jackets’ 3.33 goals-against average suggests they have been vulnerable.
What To Watch
Both teams are fighting to climb out of the bottom of the Metropolitan Division, where Philadelphia’s nine points and Columbus’s eight points place them behind every other club in the group. A win Tuesday would not change the standings dramatically, but neither team can afford to fall further behind division leader Carolina, which has 20 points. The health of Philadelphia’s injured forwards will be worth tracking, along with whether Columbus can turn its strong faceoff numbers into sustained offensive pressure against a Flyers team still integrating multiple returning players.
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