Flyers strive to get back on track, face familiar foe in Blue Jackets

The Philadelphia Flyers have only won two of their last eight games, but one of those victories came against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Flyers hope to duplicate that effort Saturday when they host the Blue Jackets in the second of four meetings between the teams this season.

The first matchup came on Dec. 10 in Columbus, where Philadelphia skated to a 5-3 victory as Travis Konecny scored twice and Morgan Frost added a goal and an assist.

The Flyers won their next game as well -- a 4-1 triumph vs. Detroit -- but the team has since dropped three straight games. Most recently, they allowed the final five goals in a 7-3 setback against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.

"There's been some mistakes. We have to clean it up," said Flyers coach (and former Blue Jackets coach) John Tortorella, who added: "I thought we handled ourselves well for 40 minutes. Gotta find our way through 60."

After Aleksei Kolosov allowed six goals on 26 shots on Thursday, the Flyers will likely turn back to starter Samuel Ersson on Saturday. Ersson earned the win against Columbus earlier this month.

Of course, Ersson would love it if Tyson Foerster could score two goals again, like he did against the Kings.

"That's what I'm trying to do, get to the net," Foerster said. "Our line is playing decent and we're supporting each other well and we know the puck is going to the net. That's where I've got to go."

The Blue Jackets had dropped eight of nine games prior to Thursday's 4-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Elvis Merzlikins made 40 saves in a spectacular overall effort that certainly caught the attention of his coaches and teammates.

"He was awesome (Thursday)," said Columbus defenseman Zach Werenski, whose team was outshot 42-20. "Obviously, if it wasn't for the saves he made and how dialed in he was, it probably could be a different outcome. I like the way we played, but I like the way he played even more."

Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason was a little more matter-of-fact after Merzlikins helped the team snap a three-game home losing streak.

"That's his job, right?" Evason said. "He did it very well (Thursday)."

Ersson is hoping for a sharper effort as well, if he gets the nod in net on Saturday. He has allowed 15 goals in four starts since returning from a lower-body injury.

Meanwhile, Flyers rookie Matvei Michkov has not registered a point in four straight games and is a collective minus-8 over the last three contests. Teammate Sean Couturier feels Michkov's pain, as he enters this one on a 10-game goalless streak.

Among the Blue Jackets players who are hoping to get untracked Saturday are Kirill Marchenko (one goal in the last 10 games), although he does have points in seven of his last eight contests.

Columbus' Sean Monahan had one goal in his previous nine games before scoring twice against New Jersey.

"We haven't been going the way we wanted to," Monahan said. "It was time to step up."

--Field Level Media