Columbus Blue Jackets @ Philadelphia Flyers: Season 25 3/14/26

Don't let the shots on goal fool you; this was a tight, exciting game with no brotherly love to be found on the ice! 4:21 into the game, Kirill Marchenko would gain his twenty-fifth goal of the season, giving us a 1-0 lead! Adam Fantilli adds his twenty-eighth assist this season on the primary, while Damon Severson adds his twenty-second with the secondary. A few minutes later, at 10:24, Alex Bump would shoot the puck so hard into our net that it would jump out before the buzzer could go off, but it did go in for his second goal of the season. The tying goal would give Emil Andrae his eleventh assist this season on the primary, and Christian Dvorak adds his twenty-sixth assist this season on the secondary. Each team would continue to have good chances to score, but just that, good chances. The period would end with a 1-1 tie between the Flyers and Blue Jackets, but the Blue Jackets would lead shots on goal in this opening period, 13-6.  

Period 2 would end with the same 1-1 tie. Now, don't think it was a boring period; it was not. First, I have to say that I cannot wait for Kent Johnson to get his next goal because, damn, this man couldn't be trying any harder. The way every goalie we've faced in the last week has blocked him every time is frustrating for me, yet he presses on. What a player. Second, Adam Fantilli will fight if you provoke him! It's rare to see Adam Fantilli fight, but he did this period against Flyers Carl Grundstrom. Adam Fantilli sat in the box for 7 minutes afterward, 5 minutes for fighting and 2 minutes for roughing. The other man in the fight, Carl Grundstrom, got 5 minutes for fighting and 2 minutes for boarding Adam Fantilli. Third, I don't think I've ever seen the Blue Jackets be called for three cross-checks in less than three minutes, let alone two going to the same player in the same call, but it happened in this period! Cole Sillinger got charged with the first at 17:38 for cross-checking Flyers Nikita Grebenkin. Then Damon Severson would be charged for two cross-checks against Flyers' Denver Barkey at 19:35. The good news is that the Blue Jackets would kill Cole Sillinger's penalty at the end of Period 2, and the remainder of Damon Severson's that carried into Period 3. The shots on goal this period would end in our Blue Jackets' favor again, 8-5 

The good news about Period 3 is that the Blue Jackets would finally get a power play. Flyers' Rasmus Ristolainen would trip Cole Sillinger, earning himself a 2-minute penalty. The bad news is that the Blue Jackets wouldn't be able to score during this power play or for the remainder of the period, but don't worry, the Flyers wouldn't get another power play or score either. Yes, 5th Line, it's overtime again! Shots on goal for this final regulation period would tie at 6-6. 

Would you believe that overtime wasn't enough to decide this game either? No one would even register a shot on goal for the entire five minutes! The shootout would go to the last man, our last man, in the third round, but Kirill Marchenko would get it done! His glorious backhanded shot would give us the second point up for grabs tonight, our 79th point this season! The final score on the road tonight was 2-1, Blue Jackets over Flyers!   

The NHL App has been glitching all night, so if these changes I will update them. The Third Star of the game was Flyers' Denver Barkey. He had a 0-0-0 night, so I would bet he was awarded this for gameplay. 

Trevor Zegras also had a 0-0-0 night, but he was the Second Star of the Game. 

Kirill Marchenko, who had the first goal of the game for the Blue Jackets and scored the shootout winner, is your First Star of the Game tonight! This one makes sense! 

Special mention goes to Jet Greaves, who was amazing in our visitors' net tonight. He finished with 18 saves on 19 Flyers shots. This game gave him a .944 save percentage. 

Bonus: What a night for the penalty kill! They would go 4/4! 

Now, let's get to what really matters, the standings following this WIN! We now share the same number of points this season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, 79! They sit in the Third spot in the Metropolitan Division. The Pittsburgh Penguins are playing the Utah Mammoth right now, and it is tied 2-2 with a third period still to play. So, let's go Mammoth! The New York Islanders sit in the second spot in the Metropolitan Division with just 81 points. Now, as far as the Wildcard spots go, the Bruins are now in the First Wildcard spot with 80 points, while the Detroit Red Wings have slipped to the Second Wildcard spot, also with 80 points. Again, we have 79. So, to get to the playoffs, every game for the rest of the regular season is basically a playoff game. It's only getting more exciting with each game day, 5th Line, and our next is Tuesday. Our Blue Jackets finally come home for some St. Patrick's Day fun against the visiting Carolina Hurricanes! The puck will drop at 7:00 p.m.! 

Our point streak is now at nine games! 

GO CBJ! 


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