The latest Flyers Vs Blue Jackets update is less about the matchup itself than the people shaping it. On November 14, projected lineups were released for a game that will again be played without Rick Bowness behind the Blue Jackets bench, with the coach expected to miss a second straight game because of a health issue.
That matters because coaching absences are not just a background note in an NHL preview. They affect the rhythm of the bench, the timing of adjustments and who is responsible for steering the response if the game turns. In this case, the Blue Jackets will have to manage without Bowness again, and Assistant Don Granato is the name tied to that sideline responsibility in the available information.
Projected lineups bring clarity
The Flyers are expected to use the same 18 skaters from their previous game, which gives their side a familiar look heading into this one. That kind of continuity can matter in a short turnaround, especially when the details are still fresh from Wednesday’s 3-2 overtime loss at the Edmonton Oilers.
Philadelphia at least got a solid performance in net in that game. Vladar made 21 saves at Edmonton, a useful reminder that the Flyers were competitive enough to leave with a point even if the result did not go their way. The question now is whether that same structure can carry over against the Blue Jackets without any lineup surprises.
For Columbus, the notable personnel move is Luca Del Bel Belluz coming in as the replacement for Sean Monahan. That is the clearest lineup change in the information available, and it comes after Monahan was injured in Thursday’s 3-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
In a projected-lineups piece, that is often the most important detail: who is in, who is out, and what those absences force a coach to do. With Bowness unavailable again, the Blue Jackets not only lose a voice on the bench, they also have to adapt around a changed forward group at the same time.
So while the headline is the coaching absence, the bigger picture is that both teams arrive with recent baggage. The Flyers come in with the same 18 skaters after an overtime loss, and the Blue Jackets must handle another night without Rick Bowness while adjusting the lineup around Monahan’s injury. That is the kind of pregame context that can shape a result long before the puck drops.
