Preview: CBJ vs. PHI

The Blue Jackets have had plenty of time to stew over an 8-2 setback at Tampa Bay on Saturday and hope to use the extra days wisely to a concoct a recipe for success when the Philadelphia Flyers play at Nationwide Arena on Thursday. Not much worked in the loss to the Lightning that ended a two-game winning streak. The Blue Jackets fell behind 3-0 in the first period, pulled to within a goal late in the second but Tampa Bay responded with five straight goals.

As much as the Blue Jackets wanted to erase that game from their memory with another immediately, it wasn't so bad having some distance between games to correct their mistakes
"Sometimes when you get spanked you'd like to play the next afternoon just to get it over with to clear your head," right wing Cam Atkinson said. "Other times it's good to have three or four days where you can watch film and talk about it and chew at it a little bit and get back at it."
That's exactly what has happened. There's been a lot of video of the special teams as well as handling breakouts that made Tampa Bay so lethal.
The Lightning went 4 for 7 on the power play and held the Blue Jacket scoreless in five tries.
"It gives us a chance to pause and get some teaching done, not just on special teams, but a number of different areas," coach John Tortorella said. "We didn't play an 8-2 game, so you have to be really careful as far as judging that. We had a hell of a time with their power play.
"My biggest concern is we've been in between on 2-on-1 chances. There's a philosophy on 2-on-1 to give the shooter to the goalie. We have given the shooter to the goalie and when you give the shooter to the goalie you're supposed to block the pass across. We've done neither in certain situations."
Tortorella said Wednesday that Sergei Bobrovsky will start against the Flyers after allowing a career-high eight goals, the last coming on the power play with less than a second remaining in the game.
"He's a really good goalie," the coach said. "There's not a chance people can blame him for that 8-2 loss, not a chance."
Atkinson agreed that Bobrovsky (1-2-0, 4.38 GAA, .860 save percentage) needs better support.
"With the goals they had a lot of it was our own doing, whether it was odd-man rushes or not blocking shots on PK," he said.
Bobrovsky could hardly pick a better time to rebound than against his former team. He's 10-3-1, 1.91, .933 with two shutouts vs. the Flyers.
Tortorella is still tinkering with the lines, but right wing Josh Anderson is expected to move back to the third line with Oliver Bjorkstrand dropping to the fourth. There could also be personnel moves on the penalty kill and power play.
One thing he doesn't plan on changing is the defense duo of Ryan Murray and Markus Nutivaara.
"That's a pair we've kind of settled right now," Tortorella said.
About the Flyers
The good news for the Flyers is they erupted for five goals in the second period against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday. The not-so good news is that it was barely enough. Florida scored three straight to overcome a three-goal deficit to tie it 5-5 before the Flyers won the shootout on Jordan Weal's deciding goal and Cal Pickard's save of Frank Vatrano.
Pickard relieved Brian Elliott in the third period after he allowed four goals on 23 shot. Elliott (1-3-0, 4.04, .874) will start Thursday.
Claude Giroux (three goals, five assists) and former Blue Jackets forward Jake Voracek (two goals, six assists) lead the Flyers with eight points. Wayne Simmonds has a team-high five goals.
Blue Jackets projected lineup
Artemi Panarin -- Pierre-Luc Dubois -- Cam Atkinson
Nick Foligno -- Alex Wennberg -- Anthony Duclair
Boone Jenner -- Riley Nash -- Josh Anderson
Sonny Milano -- Lukas Sedlak -- Oliver Bjorkstrand
Zach Werenski -- David Savard
Ryan Murray -- Markus Nutivaara
Scott Harrington -- Adam Clendening
Sergei Bobrovsky
Joonas Korpisalo
Scratched: Markus Hannikainen, Dean Kukan
Injured: Seth Jones (knee sprain), Brandon Dubinsky (oblique strain)