Scott Hartnell's goal is to 'disappoint' the surging Flyers

COLUMBUS, Ohio --  The Flyers, fighting for their playoff lives, will try to end an 11-year drought in Nationwide Arena when they face the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.

The Flyers have lost seven straight (0-5-2) in Columbus since 2005, including a 3-2 shootout defeat on Dec. 19. They begin the night one point behind Detroit for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot. The Red Wings have a tough game Tuesday against host Tampa Bay.

The Flyers (35-24-12) are 1-1-1 against the Blue Jackets (29-35-8) this season; they scored a 6-0 home win in the teams' last meeting as defenseman Radko Gudas (Radko Gudas!) collected two goals and two assists in a March 5 blowout.

Steve Mason will get get the start against his former team; he made 23 saves in Monday's workmanlike 4-1 win over the Islanders in Brooklyn. Anthony Stolarz, who has never play in an NHL game, will be tonight's backup. option.

Mason has started both ends of back-to-back games twice this season and is 1-1-2 in those contests. On Feb. 6, he dropped a 3-2 shootout decision to the Rangers, and then lost in Washington, 3-2, the next day. Mason was a 3-1 winner in Tampa Bay on March 11, but dropped a 5-4 shootout in Florida the next night.

Former Flyer Sergei Bobrovsky will get the call for the Blue Jackets, who never recovered from an 0-8 start and can be eliminated from the playoff race tonight.  Scott Hartnell (21 goals, 44 points) has a goal and three assists against his ex-teammates this season and would love to stall their playoff push.

"It's always fun playing against friends and a team that traded you," Hartnell, who is minus-8 in his last seven games, told the Columbus Dispatch. "For me, personally, it'll be a big night to try to get on the score sheet and get points and disappoint them."

Bobrovsky has excelled in his career against the Flyers, going 4-1 with a 1.80 GAA and .940 save percentage.

Mason has a 3-3-2 record, a 2.62 GAA,  and .909 save percentage against his former Columbus teammates.

The Flyers are on a 9-2-1 roll, while John Tortorella's Blue Jackets have lost four of their last five.

Hakstol will have a difficult decision on whether to put winger Chris VandeVelde back in the lineup. VandeVelde, part of an effective fourth line and penalty-killing unit, finished serving his two-game NHL suspension Monday.

Hakstol said he will decide after the pregame skate.

Breakaways. Jackets captain Nick Foligno is ill and not expected to play tonight, but third-line center Alexander Wennberg should return from a lower-body injury. ... The Flyers are allowing 2.58 goals per game (15th in the NHL) and Columbus is surrendering 3.04 per game (29th). ... Mason has started seven of the last eight games. ... The Flyers did not have a morning skate. ... Columbus almost certainly will miss the playoffs for the 13th time in 15 seasons. ... The Flyers' last win in Columbus was Dec. 13, 2005, when rookie Jeff Carter scored the winner in a 3-1 victory and Robert Esche was the goalie. The other Flyers goal scorers were Peter Forsberg and Sami Kapanen....The Flyers' PP is in a 1 for 15 funk over the last four games.