Game Preview: Blue Jackets Keep Road Trip Going, Face Flyers In Division Showdown

By Ed Francis on March 24, 2026 at 10:49 am
After their 12-game point streak came to an end in Sunday's loss, the Columbus Blue Jackets are back at it Tuesday night with another key divisional showdown — this time against the Philadelphia Flyers.
© Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
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CBJ   PHI
17-14-4 ROAD / HOME 15-11-8
3.17 GOALS FOR 2.80
3.06 GOALS AGAINST 3.00
20.3% POWER PLAY 14.9%
77.8% PENALTY KILL 77.9%
30.0 SHOTS FOR 25.2
29.1 SHOTS AGAINST 25.8
50.5% FACEOFF % 48.6%
FLYERS: LAST THREE GAMES 
WED, 3/18 @ Ducks OTW, 3-2
THU, 3/19 @ Kings SOW, 4-3
SAT, 3/21 @ Sharks W, 4-1
FLYERS: TEAM LEADERS
GOALS Travis Konecny 25
ASSISTS Travis Konecny 35
POINTS Travis Konecny 60
ODDS & PROJECTIONS
 CBJ WIN PER MONEYPUCK: 56%
CBJ ODDS PER DRAFTKINGS: -135

Another night, another division rival fighting with the Columbus Blue Jackets (37-22-11, 85 points) for a playoff spot.

This time it's the Philadelphia Flyers (34-23-12, 80 points), as the Blue Jackets travel to the City of Brotherly Love for a Tuesday night clash against a team that is within earshot of Columbus for a potential playoff spot.

The Flyers are just five points back and have a game in hand against the Blue Jackets. The two teams met ten nights ago in a 2-1 shootout victory for Columbus.

But the Flyers have won three straight since then, and come into this game with a six-game point streak. There's no doubt that they know they absolutely must have this one to stay alive in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Here are five things to know before the 7:00 p.m. puck-drop:

  • As mentioned, the Flyers are 5-0-1 in their last six. They've done it with defense, having allowed two goals or less in five of those games and three goals in the other one. ... Daniel Vladař has started four of those games and gets the start in this game. ... During that same six-game stretch, Philadelphia is just 1-for-21 on the power play and has allowed five power play goals on 19 opportunities. Their streak has been despite of, not because of, special teams. 
     
  • How have the Blue Jackets responded after being shutout this season? It's only happened twice, but the results have been starkly contrasting: their 2-0 loss to the Washington Capitals on Dec. 7 began a four-game losing streak with just one goal in the game following the shutout, while the next time it happened — a 4-0 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Jan. 10 — kicked off a four-game winning streak, including three under the reigns of new head coach Rick Bowness.
     
  • The two Blue Jacket forwards with the longest goal drought: Kirill Marchenko and Sean Monahan. Marchenko hasn't scored in four games, his longest drought of the 2026 calendar year. For Monahan, the streak stands at ten games. Without a goal Tuesday, he'll tie his longest drought of the season without finding the back of the net.
     
  • Jet Greaves will get the start for a second straight game. He allowed a goal on the first shot he faced Sunday night to the Islanders but was perfect after that, stopping the final 21 shots thrown his way. Overall, Greaves 23-13-8 this year with a 2.58 goals against average and .909 save percentage. Over his last 15 appearances, Greaves is 11-1-2 with a 2.25 goals against.
     
  • Bowness has said the lineup will look the same as in recent games. Here are the complete projections:
LW C RW
17 Mason Marchment 19 Adam Fantilli 86 Kirill Marchenko
91 Kent Johnson 23 Sean Monahan 83 Conor Garland
4 Cole Sillinger 3 Charlie Coyle 24 Mathieu Olivier
21 Isac Lundeström 38 Boone Jenner 43 Danton Heinen
LD RD
8 Zach Werenski 78 Damon Severson
9 Ivan Provorov 5 Denton Mateychuk
15 Dante Fabbro 44 Erik Gudbranson
Starting Goalie Back-Up
73 Jet Greaves 90 Elvis Merzlikins
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