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(NHL) Columbus vs. Philadelphia,
Money Line: -110.00 Columbus (Away)
Result: Loss
Money Line: -110.00 Columbus (Away)
Result: Loss
The set-up: The 49-23-8 Columbus Blue Jackets are headed to the playoffs but their season-high five-game losing streak has ended any chance for home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Blue Jackets take the ice Saturday afternoon when they visit the Philadelphia Flyers, who are preparing to sit out the playoffs for the third time in the last five seasons.
Columbus: The Blue Jackets know they cannot move out of the third spot in the Metropolitan Division and will start Round 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs in Pittsburgh against the defending champs., despite owning the fourth-best record in the NHL That's a daunting task but first, Columbus needs to get off the schneid. "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.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.
Philadelphia: The Flyers dropped their second straight outing with a 1-0 overtime setback in New Jersey on Tuesday. The Flyers close out the regular season with back-to-back homes games against Columbus and Carolina (Sunday) games. They are likely to split goaltenders Michal Neuvirth (11-11-1, 2.82 GAA, .891 SP) and Steve Mason (25-21-8, 2.67, .908) in the final two games. Neuvirth has been re-signed for the next two seasons, but Mason is destined to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
The pick: Columbus is just 20-15-4 since starting the season on a blistering 29-8-4 pace and have been outscored 16-10 during its five-game skid. The Blue Jackets are expected to turn to former Flyers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, who was given the night off on Thursday when the Jackets fell 5-4 to the Winnipeg Jets. Bobrovsky ranks second among NHL goalies in wins (41), first in GAA (2.02) and first in save percentage (.933), but has lost his last three starts and has allowed nine goals in those losses. However, he is 3-0-0 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. Make Columbus a 10* play.
Columbus: The Blue Jackets know they cannot move out of the third spot in the Metropolitan Division and will start Round 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs in Pittsburgh against the defending champs., despite owning the fourth-best record in the NHL That's a daunting task but first, Columbus needs to get off the schneid. "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.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.
Philadelphia: The Flyers dropped their second straight outing with a 1-0 overtime setback in New Jersey on Tuesday. The Flyers close out the regular season with back-to-back homes games against Columbus and Carolina (Sunday) games. They are likely to split goaltenders Michal Neuvirth (11-11-1, 2.82 GAA, .891 SP) and Steve Mason (25-21-8, 2.67, .908) in the final two games. Neuvirth has been re-signed for the next two seasons, but Mason is destined to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
The pick: Columbus is just 20-15-4 since starting the season on a blistering 29-8-4 pace and have been outscored 16-10 during its five-game skid. The Blue Jackets are expected to turn to former Flyers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, who was given the night off on Thursday when the Jackets fell 5-4 to the Winnipeg Jets. Bobrovsky ranks second among NHL goalies in wins (41), first in GAA (2.02) and first in save percentage (.933), but has lost his last three starts and has allowed nine goals in those losses. However, he is 3-0-0 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. Make Columbus a 10* play.
