Flyers, Blue Jackets Collide as Wild-Card Race Tightens

Philadelphia and Columbus battle for playoff positioning in key late-season matchup.

Mar. 14, 2026 at 5:10am

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The Philadelphia Flyers and Columbus Blue Jackets, two teams fighting for a wild-card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, will meet on Saturday in a crucial late-season matchup. The Flyers are coming off a grueling back-to-back, having won in Minnesota after a late-night flight from a home win over Washington. Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets are looking to bounce back from an overtime loss to the Florida Panthers after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning earlier in the week.

Why it matters

With the playoff race tightening, this game has major implications for both teams' postseason hopes. The Flyers are five points behind the Boston Bruins for the final wild-card spot, while the Blue Jackets sit just one point behind the Bruins. A win could be a major boost for either team's playoff push.

The details

The Flyers have won six of their last eight games, led by the strong play of forward Owen Tippett, who has three short-handed goals this season. Columbus, meanwhile, has recorded at least one point in eight straight games, though they are just 4-0-4 in that stretch. Rookie Adam Fantilli has four goals in seven games this month for the Blue Jackets as they make their playoff push.

  • The Flyers faced the Washington Capitals at home on Wednesday and won 4-1 before taking a late-night flight to Minnesota.
  • The Flyers earned a 3-2 shootout victory against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night, arriving in town well past midnight.
  • The Flyers will host the Blue Jackets on Saturday before heading west for a three-game trip to California.

The players

Rick Tocchet

The head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers.

Owen Tippett

A forward for the Philadelphia Flyers who has three short-handed goals this season.

Travis Konecny

A forward for the Philadelphia Flyers who scored the decisive shootout goal against Minnesota.

Rick Bowness

The head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who has a 14-2-4 record since taking over on January 12.

Adam Fantilli

A rookie forward for the Columbus Blue Jackets who has four goals in seven games this month as the team makes its playoff push.

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What they’re saying

“No negative (comments) from me tonight. The guys got in at 3 in the morning. The guys (were) resilient, so (that was a) hell of a job. That's a tough team to get two points against.”

— Rick Tocchet, Head Coach, Philadelphia Flyers

“Huge goal for us. I think he's got a couple shorties now, and obviously his skill, his speed is so dangerous. ... He's been big for us all year.”

— Noah Cates, Forward, Philadelphia Flyers

“Very happy with the way we played. We gave up 16 shots on net for 60 minutes. We dominated the game. Give (Bobrovsky) credit -- he was the difference in the game, simple as that. ... But overall, for 60 minutes, very happy with what we saw. Sometimes the goalie is better than your shooters. That's the case tonight.”

— Rick Bowness, Head Coach, Columbus Blue Jackets

“We dominated for the most part. You're happy to get a point, but ... eventually, it's not good enough. We need two to get into the playoffs. We just have to bear down on our chances.”

— Adam Fantilli, Forward, Columbus Blue Jackets

What’s next

The Flyers and Blue Jackets will meet again on April 6 in Columbus, in what could be another crucial late-season matchup as the playoff race continues to tighten.

The takeaway

This game between the Flyers and Blue Jackets is a crucial one in the tightly contested Eastern Conference wild-card race. Both teams are fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive, and a win could provide a major boost to their postseason aspirations.