Preview: Flyers look to simplify game, defeat struggling Blue Jackets

The Philadelphia Flyers (14-15-4) take on the Columbus Blue Jackets (13-15-3) at the Wells Fargo Center for their final game at home in 2024. This is not a game to complicate. The Blue Jackets over their last 10 games have posted a 2-6-2 record. While not impressive, the Flyers have fared with only slightly better results, going 4-5-1 over their last 10 games.

This is an opportune night to rid their 3-game losing streak before hitting the road. Ironically, the last time the Flyers played Columbus, they overcame their previous losing streak of 3 games. It was a convincing win, too. With a 5-3 final in Columbus, the Flyers largely controlled play and maintained a lopsided score for most of the game until the final minutes of the third period. No excuses tonight.

When: 7:00pm/ET
Where: Wells Fargo Center; Philadelphia, PA
Broadcast Info: NBCSP; Flyers Radio 24/7
Last Game PHI: 12/19; 7-3 L; vs Los Angeles Kings
Last Game CBJ: 12/19; 4-2 W; vs New Jersey Devils

Philadelphia Flyers

 Sam Ersson is back in net after an unencouraging performance at the Detroit Red Wings Wednesday night, where the Flyers lost 6-4. In that game, he allowed 5 goals on 24 shots. The struggles in net have been documented, and the team desperately needs it’s starting goaltender to provide the results we all expect out of him.

To the surprise of everyone but John Tortorella, Emil Andrae was sent back down to Lehigh on Friday.

“It’s a no-brainer. It’s gotten too rich for him. Easy part of the process. He gets a little bit up here, plays really well, starts falling off. We are not going to keep putting a kid in a spot where we’re hurting him.” – John Tortorella; 12/21/2024

Cam York will return to the lineup tonight, and presumably will play alongside Travis Sanheim.

While he was initially expected to play, Sean Couturier did not participate at morning skate and has been ruled out of tonight’s game due to personal reasons.

Olle Lycksell was called up to the Flyers this morning, and is on their roster on their NHL media page, per Jordan Hall at NBC Sports Philadelphia. The Flyers later confirmed his recall and he will play tonight.

Projected Lineup: Philadelphia Flyers

#74 Owen Tippett – #21 Scott Laughton – #11 Travis Konecny
#86 Joel Farabee – #48 Morgan Frost – #39 Matvei Michkov
#71 Tyson Foerster – #27 Noah Cates – #10 Bobby Brink
#15 Olle Lycksell – #25 Ryan Poehling – #19 Garnet Hathaway

#8 Cam York – #6 Travis Sanheim
#24 Nick Seeler – #55 Rasmus Ristolainen
#5 Egor Zamula – #9 Jamie Drysdale

#33 Sam Ersson
(#35 Aleksei Kolosov)

Projected Lineup: Columbus Blue Jackets

#10 Dmitri Voronkov – #23 Sean Monahan – #91 Kent Johnson
#21 James van Riemsdyk – #19 Adam Fantilli – #86 Kirill Marchenko
#27 Zach Aston-Reese – #4 Cole Sillinger – #24 Mathieu Olivier
#67 James Malatesta – #7 Sean Kuraly – #82 Mikael Pyyhtiä

#8 Zach Werenski – #78 Damon Severson
#9 Ivan Provorov – #2 Jake Christiansen
#3 Jack Johnson – #22 Jordan Harris

#90 Elvis Merzļikins
(#40 Daniil Tarasov)