Game Preview: Blue Jackets Head To Philly As Cam Atkinson Goes Up Against Columbus For The First Time

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

13–18–8 (34 points; .436%) ROSTER / SCHEDULE

7:00 P.M. – THURSDAY, JANUARY 20 WELLS FARGO CENTER PHILADELPHIA, PA

BALLY SPORTS OHIO ESPN+ (Out Of Market)

Last Thursday, the Columbus Blue Jackets went on the road and beat the Carolina Hurricanes —the best team in the league at the time — by a score of 6-0. 

Two nights later, they gave up nine goals in a 9-2 loss to the Florida Panthers, who one night earlier had supplanted the Hurricanes as the best team in the league.

Which Blue Jackets team will show up Thursday night when the team makes their first trip of the season to Philadelphia for a battle with the Flyers? 

No matter which team shows up, one thing is for sure — they'll be doing so to face former Blue Jacket Cam Atkinson, in what will be the 2008 draft pick's first game against the club that drafted him. It's sure to be bittersweet for Atkinson, the Blue Jackets, and the 5th Line. 

RE: PHILADELPHIA

While Columbus was expected to struggle this season, the expectations were a bit higher for Philadelphia — so it's at least somewhat of a surprise to see the Blue Jackets ahead of them in the standings, despite three fewer games played. 

It's been particularly bad for the Flyers as of late, as they're 0-6-2 in the month of January and have lost nine in a row. The competition has been pretty good, with the first seven of those losses coming against teams that would be in the Stanley Cup Playoffs if they started today, but nine in a row is hard to excuse away. 

The Flyers have had a couple of bright spots though, and Atkinson has been one of them. In 39 games, he's got 15 goals (leads the team), 14 assists (third on the team), 29 points (second on the team), and trails only Derick Brassard — another former Blue Jackets — in the plus/minus category, with a +6.

For the Blue Jackets, getting the puck to the net should come slightly easier than in most games. While Columbus gives up a league-worst 34.8 shots per game, the Flyers are right behind them at 34.7. Shot quality is more important than shot quantity, but sometimes, quality comes with quantity. 

STORYLINES

• IT'S BEEN A WHILE
  1,059 days, to be exact. That's how long it's been since the Blue Jackets had a win over the Flyers. This is the club's first meeting of the season against each other, with two more to come.
   
• DEFENSE IS RUNNIN' LOW
  Adam Boqvist and Vladislav Gavrikov are in COVID protocol, and both will be out for Thursday's game. That makes a thin blue line even thinner — outstanding goaltending will be needed. Gavin Bayreuther and Gabriel Carlsson were part of the top six in Wednesday's practice and are likely to draw in.
   
• JAKE'S MOMENT 
  It's hard to imagine the Philadelphia faithful giving much of an ovation to any player on the opposing team, but one has to imagine that they will give it up for Jakub Voracek, who played at the Wells Fargo Center for ten years until the offseason trade that sent him back to Columbus. Wednesday, head coach Brad Larsen indicated that Voracek was unlikely to play. Thursday, though, came word that Voracek has cleared all necessary protocols and will be in the lineup against his former team. 

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*SUBJECT TO CHANGE