The Columbus Blue Jackets will look to increase their season-high profitable streak to 5 video games after they host the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday evening.
Columbus’ latest success has pushed the Jackets into the Jap Convention’s last wild-card slot. Solely 5 factors separate the Blue Jackets from the Fifteenth-place New York Islanders, underscoring the East’s congested nature.
Columbus is among the many NHL leaders in targets allowed, so Saturday’s 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues was a much-needed defensive showcase for the membership. Goaltender Jet Greaves made 31 saves and the Jackets blocked 23 pictures, holding St. Louis off the scoreboard till the ultimate 12 seconds of the third interval.
“It is a workforce sport, proper? All people’s shopping for in to do the proper issues to maintain the puck out of the online. … We did lots of actually good issues (to play) a sound defensive hockey sport,” Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason stated.
The Jackets have been profitable regardless of shedding a number of key veterans (together with captain Boone Jenner, Sean Monahan, Erik Gudbranson, and Justin Danforth) to injured reserve. Zach Aston-Reese is questionable to face Philadelphia after leaving Saturday’s sport with an upper-body harm.
Amid these absences, the Blue Jackets’ youthful stars have continued to excel. Adam Fantilli has six factors (three targets, three assists) throughout a five-game level streak, and Kirill Marchenko (two targets, three assists) and Dmitri Voronkov (4 targets, two assists) every are on a four-game level streak.
Zach Werenski leads Columbus with 48 factors (13 targets, 35 assists) and is battling for the NHL lead in factors by a defenseman.
Just like the Blue Jackets, the Flyers are attempting to recuperate from some early-season struggles, however comebacks have grow to be a behavior in Philadelphia. The Flyers’ 4-3 win over the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Monday marked Philadelphia’s NHL-high-tying sixth victory when trailing after the second interval.
“We’re a resilient workforce. … If you wish to be like one among these groups, you have to beat them,” ahead Noah Cates stated. “And you have to beat them at their very own sport, which is getting pucks in deep and taking part in laborious.”
Cates scored twice on Monday, together with a highlight-reel effort for the game-winning aim 14:09 into the third interval. Cates has 14 factors (eight targets, six assists) in his final 16 video games.
Philadelphia has received its final two video games, with two power-play targets in every contest. The 4-for-9 complete with the additional attacker comes after a dismal 5-for-48 stretch for the Flyers’ long-struggling power-play unit.
In distinction, the Blue Jackets’ scorching-hot energy play is 16-for-45 over the workforce’s final 17 video games.
Since Samuel Ersson confronted the Panthers on Monday, and both Ivan Fedotov or Aleksei Kolosov will begin on Tuesday because the Flyers play for the second consecutive evening. Philadelphia is 1-6-0 within the second half of back-to-backs this season.
Elvis Merzlikins is predicted to start out within the Jackets’ internet on Tuesday. Merzlikins is 6-1-1 in his final eight video games regardless of a lackluster 3.17 goals-against common.
Philadelphia has received each conferences with the Blue Jackets this season. The Flyers earned a 5-3 triumph in Columbus on Dec. 10, and a 5-4 additional time victory in Philadelphia on Dec. 21.
–Discipline Stage Media
