The Columbus Blue Jackets, losers of five of their last seven games, went on the road on Thursday night to take on the Philadelphia Flyers, a team that was struggling even more lately, having lost nine straight games for the second time this season.
The major storyline heading into the game, other than the losses suffered by both teams, was the first matchup of the Blue Jackets and former assistant captain Cam Atkinson. Atkinson was, in a surprise move, traded to Philadelphia for Jakub Voracek this past summer (and this marked Voracek’s return to Philadelphia for the first time since the deal).