Flyers and Blue Jackets Meet at the Bottom of the Metro
Columbus is still hunting its first road win as it visits a Philadelphia offence that leans heavily on Matvei Michkov.
Written before the game
Two teams sitting at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division meet in Philadelphia, and both have been giving up better chances than they create. The difference is how badly each has been losing it.
Philadelphia has given up far better looks than it creates. Over its last 10 games the Flyers have generated 2.51 expected goals a night -- how many goals their chances were worth -- while allowing 3.62. That gap matches a minus 18 goal differential, so this is not bad luck; the Flyers have simply been outplayed. Their offence leans on Matvei Michkov.
Columbus has been closer to even. The Blue Jackets average 2.77 expected goals for against 3.43 allowed, and they have generated more shot attempts than the Flyers. They arrive off an overtime win over Vegas but are 0-2-0 on the road, with Cam Talbot and Jet Greaves sharing the net and Ivan Provorov still out.
The standings stakes are plain: Philadelphia (3-7-3, 9 points) sits 15th in the East, one spot ahead of Columbus (4-5-0, 8 points), which has played four fewer games.
