Philadelphia @ Columbus preview
Nationwide Arena
Last Meeting ( Apr 6, 2024 ) Philadelphia 2, Columbus 6
After ending their latest road slide, the Columbus Blue Jackets return home where things have gone quite well this season.
Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Flyers have yet to win anywhere in December.
Riding a five-game home point streak, the Blue Jackets look to hand the Flyers a fourth consecutive defeat Tuesday night.
Columbus opened its recent five-game road stretch with a 6-3 win at lowly Chicago, then totaled five goals in losing the next three. However, the Blue Jackets finished the trek on a positive note with just their fourth road victory, 4-1 at Winnipeg on Sunday.
Kent Johnson scored twice in the third period and Elvis Merzlikins made 24 saves for Columbus, which had yielded 11 goals in the previous two contests.
"I think it shows a lot of character," Columbus defenseman Ivan Provorov said after Sunday's game.
"Play the game the right way on the last game of the road trip, it shows a lot about this team ... I think we're trending in the right direction."
Things have certainly gone well for the Blue Jackets at home, where they are 8-3-1 and are amid a 4-0-1 stretch. Entering play Monday, Columbus ranked second in the NHL with an average of 4.25 goals at home.
Defenseman Zach Werenski, who had an assist Sunday and owns a team-leading 28 points, has five goals with eight assists during a six-game home point streak. Johnson has three goals and five assists while earning a point in each of the six home games he's played in 2024-25.
Merzlikins sports a 3.22 goals-against average and .891 save percentage at home, while going 6-2-1. Columbus backup Daniil Tarasov is 2-1-0 with a 3.05 goals-against average at home, compared to 1-4-1 with a 4.86 goals-against average on the road.
Philadelphia won three straight games amid a 4-0-1 stretch to close November. However, the Flyers are 0-2-1 since, allowing 15 goals in the process after Sunday's 4-2 loss in a back-and-forth home affair with the Utah Hockey Club.
"It is what it is," said Flyers forward Joel Farabee, who snapped a 12-game goal drought against Utah. "We just didn't have that edge to us (Sunday)."
Philadelphia also allowed a power-play goal for the fourth consecutive contest Sunday. Flyers' opponents are 7-for-17 with the man-advantage during that stretch.
"I thought our back end looked tired (versus Utah)," Flyers coach and ex-Blue Jackets boss John Tortorella said.
"(We) have killed a lot of penalties. If there's the wear and tear from killing penalties the way we have, it's the back end."
Columbus is 5-for-17 on the power play in its last six home games.
Philadelphia's Samuel Ersson (2.83 goals-against average) made 21 saves Sunday in his return from an 11-game injury absence. It's uncertain if he'll get a second straight start Tuesday.
Prized Flyers rookie Matvei Michkov, who celebrated his 20th birthday Monday, has three goals with five assists during a four-game point streak. He's recorded seven of his 11 goals on the season away from home.
Philadelphia had a 4-0-2 stretch against the Blue Jackets end with a 6-2 loss at Columbus on April 6 in the teams' most recent meeting. Werenski scored two goals with an assist in that contest.
--Field Level Media