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| PHILADELPHIA FLYERS | ||
0-0-0 (0 pts; .000%)
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7:00 P.M. – THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12 NATIONWIDE ARENA COLUMBUS, OH |
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TELEVISION: Bally Sports Ohio ESPN+ (Out of Market) |
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| ODDS & PROJECTIONS: | ||
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| ODDS OF CBJ WIN PER MONEYPUCK: 53% | ||
| TIPICO SPORTSBOOK: CBJ -130 | ||
After an offseason full of both surprises and controversary, the Columbus Blue Jackets are finally ready to begin the 2023-24 regular season.
They'll do just that Thursday night when they open the season against the Philadelphia Flyers, a divisional foe that — like the Blue Jackets — are looking to make the new campaign drastically better than the last one.
Here's what else to know when the puck drops at Nationwide Arena:
| CBJ | SEASON STATS | PHI |
|---|---|---|
| — | GOALS FOR | — |
| — | GOALS AGAINST | — |
| — | GOAL DIFFERENTIAL | — |
| — | POWER PLAY | — |
| — | PENALTY KILL | — |
| — | SHOTS FOR | — |
| — | SHOTS AGAINST | — |
| — | 5V5 CF% | — |
| — | FACE-OFF % | — |
| FLYERS: LAST THREE GAMES | ||
| SAT, 9/30 | vs. Devils (Preseason) | L, 3-2 (SO) |
| MON, 10/2 | vs. Bruins (Preseason) | W, 3-1 |
| THU, 10/5 | vs. Islanders (Preseason) | W, 5-2 |
| FLYERS: TEAM LEADERS | ||
| GOALS | — | — |
| ASSISTS | — | — |
| POINTS | — | — |
TALKING POINTS: FLYERS
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Similar to Columbus, the Flyers were crippled by injuries in the 2022-23 season and the standings were reflective of that. Former Blue Jacket Cam Atkinson didn't play at all last season, and neither did forward Sean Couturier. Both are back in the lineup and are looking to have an impact in their returns.
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Also similar to the Blue Jackets, this is a team full of young forwards. Owen Tippett, Joel Farabee, Tyson Foerster, Morgan Frost, and Noah Cates are all 24 or younger, and all five have the potential for a career year.
- Goalie Carter Hart was impressive last season after two difficult years. Despite a mediocre defense in front of him, the now 25-year-old kept his goals against average under three (2.94) and his save percentage over .900 (.907). If he offers up a repeat performance this season, he'll keep the Flyers in most games.
TALKING POINTS: CBJ
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Adam Fantilli. Enough said, right? The Blue Jackets third overall draft pick over the summer looked every bit as advertised in the preseason and makes his debut Thursday. Wise beyond his years, Fantilli makes his NHL debut on his 19th birthday.
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What will this new-look defense look like? Zach Werenski is back from injury and the offseason additions of Ivan Provorov (who will face his former team in his first game with his new team) and Damon Severson should be a huge boost, but this could also be the last chance for guys like Andrew Peeke and Jake Bean to prove they're reliable NHL blueliners.
- Patrik Laine as the team's top-line center looks to be a go — at least for now. The Blue Jackets have long struggled to find an elite man in the middle, but if Laine works out, they could (along with Fantilli) have two. Watching him on the faceoff dot is one thing, but the true test will be how he looks defensively against the top lines of the opposition.
PROJECTED CBJ LINES
Updated: 7:05 a.m. // Subject to Change
| LW | C | RW | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Johnny Gaudreau | 29 | Patrik Laine | 4 | Cole Sillinger |
| 42 | Alexandre Texier | 38 | Boone Jenner | 52 | Emil Bemstrom |
| 86 | Kirill Marchenko | 11 | Adam Fantilli | 17 | Justin Danforth |
| 50 | Eric Robinson | 7 | Sean Kuraly | 96 | Jack Roslovic |
| LD | RD | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Zach Werenski | 2 | Andrew Peeke |
| 9 | Ivan Provorov | 78 | Damon Severson |
| 22 | Jake Bean | 44 | Erik Gudbranson |
| Starting Goalie | Back-Up | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 90 | Elvis Merzlikins | 70 | Spencer Martin |
