Another big one.
The Blue Jackets, fresh off a victory in Newark that was considered a must-win game, head to Philadelphia to take on a tough Metropolitan Division foe. It won't come easy; the Flyers are 7-0-1 in their past eight games and just got stronger, acquiring goaltender Petr Mrazek in a trade with the Detroit Red Wings.
Matchup:
Columbus Blue Jackets at Philadelphia Flyers
Wells Fargo Center, 7 p.m.
TV: Fox Sports Ohio
What to Watch For:
- The aforementioned Mrazek will make his club debut with the Flyers tonight. It's been an up-and-down career for the 26-year-old. Once seen as the obvious heir-apparent in Detroit, the Czech-born netminder hasn't been able to consistently display the promise of his potential. Still, he's a career .912 save percentage goalie, and his 8-7-3 record in Detroit is impressive considering the blue line he's been working behind. He's the wild card tonight.
- Claude Giroux, legitimate MVP candidate. On Tuesday, it was Taylor Hall. Tonight, it's Giroux, the dynamic 30-year-old who's having one heck of a bounce back season. Consider that this time last year, Giroux was thought to be on the back nine of his career, on his way to a 58-point season (he played all 82 games). This season, in just 60 games, he's posted 70 points, tied for second in the entire NHL with Evgeni Malkin and trailing only Nikita Kucherov.
- The only thing scarier than Giroux is the fact that he's got an impressive supporting cast. Jakub Voracek and Sean Couturier have been dynamite all year, and all three are in the top 20 in the NHL in scoring. It doesn't stop there; Travis Konecny, Shayne Gostisbehere, and Ivan Provorov are all excellent young players that should keep the Flyers dangerous for years to come.
Tale of the Tape:
Flyers
31-19-10 / 3rd in Metropolitan Division
PP: 21.6% (6th) / PK: 75.0% (28th)
5v5 Corsi: 49.56% (17th)
Blue Jackets
30-25-5 / 5th in Metropolitan Division
PP: 14.3% (31st) / PK: 76.1% (27th)
5v5 Corsi: 51.66% (8th)
