The Blue Jackets are finally leaving home for what counts as their first real road trip of the season, and it starts tonight in Philadelphia against a Flyers team that has spent the last few weeks climbing out of a brutal opening stretch.
Philadelphia opened the season with the worst start in franchise history, going 0-6-3 through its first nine games. The Flyers then won three straight before dropping their last home game to the Anaheim Ducks. Even after that rough opening, they are only one point ahead of the Jackets in the standings despite having played four more games.
Columbus is coming off a 2-1 overtime win over the Vegas Golden Knights, a low-event game that fits the template this group says it wants to build around. The Flyers have also tended to keep things tight, which makes this one look like it could be a grind.
There is also some lineup intrigue for the Jackets. Practice lines suggest one defenseman could be back from IR, which would give Columbus a little more stability on the blue line.
#CBJ lines this morning:
Nichushkin-Fantilli-Johnson
Knies-Coyle-Olivier
Monahan-Sillinger-Garland
Voronkov/Heinen-Del Bel Belluz-Lomberg
Werenski-Severson
Christiansen-Mateychuk
Fabbro-Gudbranson
Soucy-Andrae
Greaves
Talbot
Provorov not in line rushes
- Wes Minke (@MinkePxP) October 26, 2026
For Columbus, the first task is making Philadelphia play from behind. The Flyers do not generate much offense, with Matvei Michkov providing the hottest production on the roster. He is tied with Trevor Zegras for the team lead at 10 points in 13 games, while Porter Martone sits a step back with 5 points.
That makes the early script pretty clear for the Jackets: score first, force the Flyers to open up, and make them work harder for everything. Philadelphia is 1-5-2 when its opponent scores first, so if Columbus can grab the lead, it can tilt the whole night in its favor.
The Jackets also have to carry over the discipline they showed against Vegas. They never chased the moment in that game, stayed within their structure, and played smart hockey all the way through. That kind of steadiness is going to matter again tonight, especially if the game turns choppy or the Flyers start pushing.
And with this being Columbus’ first true road trip of the season - not just a one-off road game tacked onto a back-to-back - there is a chance for the team to settle in and build some rhythm together. The Jackets have only played two road games so far, and both came in the second half of back-to-backs. This trip should feel different.
If they can carry that same calm, connected style on the road, it could be the kind of stretch where the group starts to come together.
In Other News...
Blue Jackets Blue Line Just Got A Needed Twist
The Blue Jackets finally have another option for their blue line after activating Dante Fabbro from injured reserve, a move that comes after he spent the first four weeks of the regular season sidelined by a broken hand suffered in preseason. His return gives Columbus a little more structure on the back end at a time when the club has had to manage its defense with limited pieces.
Fabbro is expected to slide onto the bottom pairing with Erik Gudbranson, adding a familiar-looking combination to the mix. Ivan Provorov remains on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, so even with Fabbro back, Columbus is still waiting for its defense corps to get back to full strength. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Nearly Let Two Points Slip Before One Star Saved Them
For a while, it looked like Columbus was headed for a comfortable night after jumping in front early and building a 3-0 lead in the first period. Adam Fantilli, Denton Mateychuk and Trevor Zegras all played key roles in getting the Blue Jackets in position to control the game, and the pace suggested they might cruise to two points without much drama.
Philadelphia had other ideas and dragged the game back to even before Columbus needed one last burst to escape with the win. Kent Johnson provided it in overtime, finishing the game off for a 4-3 Blue Jackets victory and turning what had been a squandered lead into a result Columbus could still take home. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Need More From Their Offense As Road Trip Starts
The Blue Jackets are barely into the season, but the scoring issues are already hard to ignore as they head out on their first meaningful road trip. Through nine games, Columbus has had trouble getting enough from the top of the lineup, and the early concern centers on players the club expected to drive more offense. Rick Bowness has acknowledged the challenge, and the team is still confident the goals will come as the group settles in.
Conor Garland and Sean Monahan are among the names at the center of that conversation, especially with Columbus looking for a steadier attack away from home. The Blue Jackets know they cannot lean on hope for long, and the next stretch away from home offers a chance to reset the mix and see whether the current lines can produce more consistently before the pressure on the offense grows any heavier. [Read more 🡒]