The Columbus Blue Jackets will look to stay hot tonight when they host the struggling Philadelphia Flyers, who seem to be backsliding their way out of the playoffs. The Blue Jackets have performed well under new head coach Rick Bowness. They are 6-1-0 since Bowness was hired on Jan. 12, and he has given the team the exact push they needed to make a run for the playoffs.
Related: What Edge Does Columbus Have On The Rest of the East?
However, the mission tonight is to shut down another playoff hopeful who is currently two points ahead of them in the Metropolitan Division standings.
Let the Flyers Pressure Early
The Flyers have struggled recently. They are 3-5-2 in their last 10 games, with just one win in their last eight, and have very quickly played their way out of what appeared to be a locked-in playoff spot. The biggest thing coming out of that locker room is frustration, and they will likely apply a ton of pressure early to gain the lead. The Blue Jackets will need to simply stay the course.
The Blue Jackets have played a very structured game in all seven contests under Bowness, and that system will be challenged tonight after three days off. They will have to stick to the plan and not try to force anything early against the Flyers.
Columbus will welcome back Denton Mateychuk, who was activated off injured reserve on Tuesday. However, his offensive game may be limited under Bowness’ system. It will be his first game playing under the new coach, and he may not jump up in plays as much as fans have come to expect from him.
Blue Jackets Can Capitalize on High-Danger Chances and Special Teams
The Blue Jackets are coming off a big 8-5 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night, when offense came easily to both sides. Columbus has been scoring, but those chances have all come from high-danger areas on the ice.
Bowness emphasized high-danger chances when he took over, and the Blue Jackets have responded. They have created a lot of open looks and capitalized on them, particularly Mason Marchment, who has eight goals in nine games since he was acquired from the Seattle Kraken on Dec. 20.
Mason Marchment since being traded to Columbus (9 games):
🔵 8 goals
🔴 3 assists
🔵 +6
🔴 2 power play goals
🔵 1 game-winning goal
🔴 1 hat trick
🔵 Recorded at least a point in 7 gamesFitting right in with the Blue Jackets 🔥 pic.twitter.com/5tbuX7bMCX
— SleeperNHL (@SleeperNHL) January 26, 2026
The Flyers’ special teams rank among the worst in the league, with a power play that ranks 30th with a 15.6% success rate, and a penalty kill that ranks 20th at 78%. The Blue Jackets have scored on four of their last 14 power play opportunities since Bowness took over, for a 28.5% success rate. That is very efficient, and now they have their best puck-moving defenseman back in the lineup with Mateychuk.
Blue Jackets Must Win the Goalie Rust Battle
Tonight will be a battle between two goaltenders who have not played in over a week. Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar has been battling injury and makes his return tonight after two weeks off, while Elvis Merzlikins has been battling a sickness that took him out of a game on Jan. 20 against the Ottawa Senators, when he allowed two goals on seven shots in the first period and was pulled for Jet Greaves.
Vladar has been good for the Flyers this season, with a 16-7-4 record, a .905 save percentage, and a 2.46 goals-against average. He will be a challenge for the Blue Jackets on Wednesday. The team has struggled against him – he is 3-0-0 in his career against the Blue Jackets with a .918 save percentage, 1.64 goals-against average, and one shutout.
🥅: Elvis Merzlikins (CBJ) 🅿️ is expected to start vs. PHI on Wednesday.
8-8-1 | 3.81 GAA | .882 SV% https://t.co/j965vyByvN
— Daily Faceoff – Fantasy (@DFOFantasy) January 28, 2026
Merzlikins, on the other hand, has struggled against the Flyers. He is 2-4-2 in nine games against them in his career, with a .891 save percentage, and 3.47 goals-against average. He has lost four of the last five against Philadelphia.
Both goalies will be trying to find their rhythm tonight with five games left before the Olympic break to help their team climb the standings. The Blue Jackets and Flyers both need points, while this is the first of back-to-back road games for Philadelphia.
The game will air on TNT, and the puck drops at 7:30 pm at Nationwide Arena.
