GAME 9: FLYERS VS. BLUE JACKETS
Beginning a back-to-back set and playing the middle segment of three games in four nights, Alain Vigneault's Philadelphia Flyers (4-3-1) make a brief stop at home on Saturday to take on John Tortorella's Columbus Blue Jackets (5-3-2). Game time at the Wells Fargo Center is 7:00 p.m. ET.
The game will be televised on NBC Sports Philadelphia. The radio broadcast is in on 97.5 The Fanatic with an online simulcast on Flyers Radio 24/7.
This is the first of four meetings between the Metro Division clubs this season. The teams will rematch on Nov. 27 in Columbus and then play a home-and-home on Feb. 18 in Philly and two nights later back in Columbus.
In 2018-19, the Blue Jackets swept the season series against the Flyers. Philly went 0-2-2 with a pair of overtime setbacks. Overall, the Flyers are winless in each of their last five games against the Blue Jackets.
FLYERS OUTLOOK
On Thursday, the Flyers worked around having a pair of goals disallowed due to offside challenges and nevertheless won by three goals in a 4-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.
Oskar Lindblom (5th) sent the Flyers to the first intermission leading 1-0. Claude Giroux (1st) doubled the advantage early in the middle frame. Kevin Hayes (3rd) and James van Riemsdyk (1st) tallied in the third period.
Travis Konecny (7th assist), Travis Sanheim (3rd assist), van Riemsdyk (1st assist), Scott Laughton (3rd assist) and Joel Farabee (1st NHL assist) chipped in helpers. Farabee would have had his first NHL goal plus an additional assist if not for the team's would-be first and fourth goals coming off the scoreboard after challenges. Both calls were correct ones, but unfortunate for the rookie.
Brian Elliott was excellent in stopping 23 of 24 shots, including 15 of 16 in the third period. Late in the game, left winger Michael Raffl went down to block a shot and needed considerable assistance to leave the ice. Thankfully, good news came on Friday: Raffl is sore but otherwise OK. He is probable for Saturday's game. If he can't go, Tyler Pitlick will rejoin the lineup after being scratched in favor of Chris Stewart the last two games.
Team captain Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek switched sides on the power play in Thursday's game in Chicago. Giroux moved back to the left half-boards and Voracek to the right.
In terms of team analytics, the Flyers currently lead the NHL in shot attempt differentials and expected goals share. The Flyers top the NHL in fewest shots on goal allowed per game (26.9) and are fourth in offensive shots on net (34.6). Led by Couturier and Giroux, the Flyers top the NHL with a 57.5 faceoff percentage.
The Flyers did not practice on Friday. They will have a 10:30 a.m. morning skate at the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday morning.
BLUE JACKETS OUTLOOK
Each of the last four games for Columbus have been decided beyond regulation. The Blue Jackets lost in overtime to the Blackhawks and Islanders and then won in overtime against Toronto and Carolina. Over their last eight games, the Blue Jackets are 5-1-2, and have outshot each of their eight opponents.
Pierre-Luc Dubois (4g, 2a) and defenseman Seth Jones (1g, 5a) are tied for the team scoring lead through 10 games. A regular thorn in the Flyers' side, Cam Atkinson has five points (3g, 2a) through 10 games. With Sergei Bobrovsky having departed Columbus for Florida, Joonas Korpisalo (5-2-1, 2.72 GAA, .901 SV%) has become the primary starter. Latvian goaltender Elvis Merzlikins has stepped in as the backup, making two starts to date. The Blue Jackets have at least temporarily dialed down some of their offensive forechecking aggressiveness to layer their neutral zone forecheck.
Brandon Dubinsky, a frequent Flyers nemesis over the years, is on injured reserve with a wrist injury.
PROJECTED LINES
FLYERS
25 James van Riemsdyk - 28 Claude Giroux - 93 Jakub Voracek 23 Oskar Lindblom - 14 Sean Couturier - 11 Travis Konecny 21 Scott Laughton - 13 Kevin Hayes - 49 Joel Farabee 12 Michael Raffl - 24 Mikhail Vorobyev - 44 Chris Stewart
9 Ivan Provorov - 15 Matt Niskanen 6 Travis Sanheim - 61 Justin Braun 53 Shayne Gostisbehere - 8 Robert Hà¤gg
37 Brian Elliott [79 Carter Hart]
Power Play 1: Giroux, JVR, Farabee, Voracek, Gostisbehere. Power Play 2: Lindblom, Couturier, Konecny, Provorov, Niskanen.
Scratches: 18 Tyler Pitlick (healthy), 55 Sam Morin (healthy). Injured non-roster: 19 Nolan Patrick (migraines).
BLUE JACKETS
71 Nick Foligno - 18 Pierre-Luc Dubois - 13 Cam Atkinson 14 Gustav Nyquist - 10 Alexander Wennberg - 28 Oliver Björkstrand 22 Sonny Milano - 38 Boone Jenner -77 Josh Anderson 42 Alexandre Texier - 20 Riley Nash - 52 Emil Bemstrom
8 Zach Werenski - 3 Seth Jones 27 Ryan Murray - 58 David Savard 44 Vladislav Gavrikov - 4 Scott Harrington
70 Joonas Korpisalo [90 Elvis Merzlikins]
Power Play 1: Wennberg, Dubois, Nyquist, Werenski, Jones Power Play 2: Foligno, Björkstrand, Anderson, Atkinson,Murray
Scratches: 15 Jakob Lilja (healthy), 46 Dean Kukan (healthy), 65 Markus Nutivaara (lower-body, day-to-day). Injured reserve: 17 Brandon Dubinsky (wrist).
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PHANTOMS UPDATE
Beginning their first road trip of the season, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (2-1-3) settled for one point on Friday night as they dropped a shootout, 3-2, to the host Charlotte Checkers. The shootout went seven rounds with nary a goal until Kyle Wood beat Alex Lyon the end the game.
The Phantoms battled back from a pair of one-goal deficits after yielding a first-period shorthanded goal by Chase Priskie and a second period markerby Wood. Morgan Frost (2nd) and Nicolas Aube-Kubel (2nd) scored for Lehigh Valley.
Frost's goal was a pretty one off the rush, beating a defenseman at the attacking blue line and scoring on a perfectly placed shot from the right circle. The teams will rematch on Saturday night.
Despite temperatures in the 70's today in Charlotte.
— LehighValleyPhantoms (@LVPhantoms) October 25, 2019
It's getting Frosty. â„ï¸ pic.twitter.com/fNX7yM920T