With less than half of the season left and the playoffs in sight, beating Metropolitan rivals will be important down the stretch. John Tortorella and the Flyers were the next ones standing in the way, and they nearly ended the current win streak. But Zach Werenski.
Here’s how it went down.
1st Period
The Flyers struck early when the Jackets’ defense left the back door wide open. Somehow, both defensemen got caught high in the zone. A long pass from the point led to an easy redirect goal.
PHI Goal 1-0: Brink (Seeler, Drysdale) 3:44
Marchenko got the first shot on goal for Columbus with just over seven minutes gone in the period. Sillinger did a great job of saving a Flyer clearing attempt and then danced around a white jersey.
Werenski used his skill as a one-man wrecking ball to tie the game. He picked off a pace high in the zone and made no mistake on the breakaway. The lethargic Jackets needed something to happen to wake them up, and Z answered the call.
CBJ Goal 1-1: Werenski (Unassisted) 10:27
There were very few whistles in the first period, and not much else happened besides the two goals. The Flyers dominated possession as the majority of the Jackets’ chances were off the rush. Scoring chances after 20 minutes favored Philly 10-5.
2nd Period
Fabbro got booked for cross-checking in a scramble in front of the net less than two minutes into the period. Was it a cross-check? Yes. Was it a weak cross-check that goes uncalled approximately 19 times a game? Also, yes. Thankfully, the Jackets killed off the penalty with no issue.
Finally, some action. Olivier clobbered Sanheim in the corner and left him slow to get up. Then Konecny threw a retaliation hit on Olivier, resulting in a scrum. Konecny received two minors and Olivier one, resulting in a Columbus power play.
The first unit generated a few chances but nothing that challenged the Flyer goalie. The second unit, still down on skill due to injuries, was able to cycle the puck but didn’t generate a good chance.
The Jackets woke up a bit in the second period and were able to take the lead in 5v5 xG 1.67-1.4. Still, it was a classic Torts game with very few high-danger chances.
3rd Period
More low-event hockey.
Marchenko made a great pass over to Severson, who missed a wide-open net.
An event! For the wrong team… Tippett scored on a long shot through traffic. Tarasov had a clear look at it but couldn’t snag it.
PHI Goal 2-1: Tippett (Frost) 8:13
Newly extended ZAR committed a careless high-sticking penalty while down one goal with eight minutes left. Not ideal. Again, the Jackets’ penalty kill came up big.
Once again, the first line came through when they were needed the most. They started a shift with several chances before the Flyers were able to clear the zone. Marchenko immediately reentered, catching the Flyers off guard, and passed to Werenski, who buried his second of the night.
CBJ Goal 2-2: Werenski (Marchenko, Fantilli) 15:23
The Jackets had the Flyers on their heels before the final regulation whistle sounded. On to OT!
OT
Werenski was denied the hat trick on a partial breakaway.
Aside from some KJ magic, the Flyers dominated possession in the extra period. On to a shootout!
Shootout
Kent Johnson – goal, five-hole
Konecny – beat Tarasov, off the crossbar
Fantilli – pad save
Michkov – Tarasov poke check save
Marchenko – goal, Texier
Jackets win!
Final Thoughts
It’s probably overkill to say the Jackets stole two points. After all, they did end the game with more expected goals. But for large stretches of the game, the Flyers looked like the better team.
Werenski became the fastest to reach 50 points in franchise history. Columbus would have lost this game if not for him. As of the publishing of this article, he’s tied with Makar for the league lead among defensemen and leads him in goals, though Colorado is still playing.
Tarasov looked shaky in net, to say the least. His second goal against was soft, but he did enough to finish off the game. His poke check on Michkov in the shootout was masterful. Hopefully, a win, along with a .920 save percentage, will be a confidence builder for him.
With a number of road games coming up on the schedule, continuing winning ways at home was incredibly important. Mission accomplished.
Up Next
The Sharks come to town on Thursday. The puck drops at 7:00 PM ET.