The Philadelphia Flyers (33-37-10) host the Columbus Blue Jackets (38-33-9) to conclude the 2024-2025 season at the Wells Fargo Center. Overall, the season wraps up for the Flyers on Thursday in Buffalo.
Currently, Philadelphia leads the season series versus the Blue Jackets (2-0-1).
Not yet eliminated from postseason contention, Columbus needs two points on the road. A win tonight and on Thursday against the New York Islanders in regulation offers a postseason berth if the Carolina Hurricanes defeat the Montréal Canadiens tomorrow without an overtime period or a shootout. The Flyers aim to eliminate the Blue Jackets at the Wells Fargo Center.
“They’re [the Columbus Blue Jackets] playing for something very real. We talked about that a little bit this morning on what to expect. They need two regulation wins as well. I talked to a few guys; guys who are going to be on five-on-six. Don’t be surprised, a couple minutes left in a tie game, and their goalie’s coming out. They need to score. If it gets to overtime, they’re cooked.” – Brad Shaw; 4/15/2025
Tonight, the pressure isn’t on Philadelphia. They are the potential spoiler to a different NHL Metropolitan Division rival. The Flyers (5-3-2) and Columbus (6-4-0) experienced similar success recently. DraftKings Sportsbook acknowledges the Blue Jackets (-142) as road favorites.
When: 4/15/2025; 7:00pm/ET
Where: Wells Fargo Center; Philadelphia, PA
Broadcast Info: NBC Sports Philadelphia; Flyers Radio 24/7
Last Game PHI: 4/13/2025; 4-3 OTL; at Ottawa Senators
Last Game CBJ: 4/13/2025; 4-1 W; at Washington Capitals
Philadelphia Flyers
Sam Ersson (22-16-5; 3.14GAA, 88.2%SV) will start. He was the goaltender in the two victories over Columbus this season. However, Philadelphia hasn’t defeated the Blue Jackets in the 2025 calendar year. If the Flyers are to take the season series, Ersson provides the greatest likelihood to ensure a win.
Cam York (47%FF; -6, 122BLK, 58HIT, 23TK:85GV) took a beating in Ottawa. If at all, he’s proving his tenacity and toughness as the season fades. York helped give Philadelphia an early lead when Nicolas Deslauriers scored but turned the puck over often. The physical element in York’s game must intensify. As soon as he sets the tone, the rest will follow.
Bobby Brink (53.2%CF; 11G, 28A) notched a secondary assist against the Senators to regain a lead when Noah Cates scored. The line featuring Brink, Cates, and Tyson Foerster remains stellar. Tonight, something worth watching will be the utilization of Brink to generate more high-percentage shots on goal.
“He’s [Foerster] a type of guy that doesn’t take a lot of chances to create his offense. He goes about it in a real disciplined, two-hundred foot way. I don’t think he looks much different when he’s scoring from when he’s not scoring, which is not a rare thing, but it’s a very valuable thing to have on your team; to have a guy who can contribute in defensive situations as much as he does against the other team’s top line, usually, and then be tied for the lead in goal scoring at the same time. That’s a nice feather in his cap, and it’s a testament to the work that he’s put in; also, I think how we [the Philadelphia Flyers] handled him. We didn’t rush him in here. He spent some time in the minors [the Lehigh Valley Phantoms] to learn the pro game, and that helped him. It’s not easy being down there, but at times, it’s the absolute best thing for him. He’s reaping the rewards, and so are we as an organization.” – Brad Shaw; 4/15/2025
Projected Lineup: Philadelphia Flyers
#71 Tyson Foerster – #27 Noah Cates – #10 Bobby Brink
#11 Travis Konecny – #14 Sean Couturier – #39 Matvei Michkov
#22 Jakob Pelletier – #25 Ryan Poehling – #74 Owen Tippett
#44 Nicolas Deslauriers – #23 Karsen Dorwart – #19 Garnet Hathaway
#24 Nick Seeler – #6 Travis Sanheim
#8 Cam York – #9 Jamie Drysdale
#5 Egor Zamula – #36 Emil Andrae
#33 Sam Ersson
(#82 Ivan Fedotov)
Projected Lineup: Columbus Blue Jackets
#38 Boone Jenner – #23 Sean Monahan – #86 Kirill Marchenko
#21 James van Riemsdyk – #19 Adam Fantilli – #91 Kent Johnson
#10 Dmitri Voronkov – #4 Cole Sillinger – #24 Mathieu Olivier
#27 Zach Aston-Reese – #7 Sean Kuraly – #17 Justin Danforth
#8 Zach Werenski – #15 Dante Fabbro
#5 Denton Mateychuk – #9 Ivan Provorov
#22 Jordan Harris – #44 Erik Gudbranson
#73 Jet Greaves
(#40 Daniil Tarasov)
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