Blue Jackets at Flyers
The Columbus Blue Jackets picked an unfortunate time to be mired in a five-game losing streak, as the season-high skid ended any chance for home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Blue Jackets look to turn their fortunes around and make themselves at home on the road Saturday afternoon when they visit the Philadelphia Flyers.
"Right now, we're on a bit of a skid here, but we know what we need to do going into the playoffs," said Brandon Saad, who matched last season's career-high point total of 53 by scoring twice in Thursday's 5-4 setback to Winnipeg. The offense was a welcome sight for both the 24-year-old Saad and Columbus, as the former recorded just three points (two goals, one assist) in the previous 11 games while the latter mustered just 12 tallies in its prior eight. While Saad and the Blue Jackets are keeping an eye on his hometown Pittsburgh Penguins ahead of the teams' upcoming first-round series, Philadelphia is preparing to sit out the playoffs for the third time in the last five seasons. The Flyers dropped their second straight outing with a 1-0 overtime setback in New Jersey on Tuesday and have mustered just four goals en route to losing the previous three meetings with the Blue Jackets.
TV: 12:30 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Columbus), CSN Philadelphia, NHL.TV
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (49-23-8): Sergei Bobrovsky has yielded nine goals during his personal three-game slide against NHL powers Chicago, Washington and Pittsburgh, but an encounter with his former team could put him right back on track if recent history is any indication. The 2013 Vezina Trophy winner owns a sterling 3-0-0 mark this season with a 1.31 goals-against average and .955 save percentage versus Philadelphia, highlighted by his 36-save performance in a 1-0 win on March 25. Second-year forward Alexander Wennberg scored the lone goal in that contest and notched his club-best 45th assist on Thursday.
ABOUT THE FLYERS (38-33-9): Former Blue Jacket Steve Mason, who can be an unrestricted free agent this summer, may be making his last appearance in a Philadelphia uniform on Saturday afternoon with promising Anthony Stolarz likely in net for the season finale versus Carolina on Sunday. General manager Ron Hextall hasn't divulged his hand on which goaltender (Mason, Stolarz or Michal Neuvirth) will be protected in the June expansion draft for the Vegas Golden Knights. "I think everyone at the end of the year has to look in the mirror and hold themselves accountable and understand as a whole and as individuals we have to be better," the 28-year-old Mason told Philly.com.
OVERTIME
1. Philadelphia C Brayden Schenn, who has scored two goals versus Columbus this season, has 12 points (six goals, six assists) in his last 13 games.
2. Blue Jackets RW Cam Atkinson (career-best 34 goals, 61 points) has been held off the scoresheet in five consecutive contests and nine of his last 10.
3. Flyers C Travis Konecny has collected just two points (one goal, one assist) in his last 12 games since his two-goal performance in a 5-3 setback to Columbus on March 13.