Blue Jackets rally in third, defeat Flyers in shootout

PHILADELPHIA -- The Columbus Blue Jackets scored two goals in the third period and won 3-2 in a shootout against the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center on Thursday.

Damon Severson and Jake Bean scored, and Johnny Gaudreau scored the only goal in the shootout for Columbus (13-19-8). Daniil Tarasov made 39 saves, and three in the shootout. The Blue Jackets won for the second time in seven games (2-2-3).

"It was an ugly win," Severson said. "We were not good for two periods and then we found a way in the third to get something going there."

Travis Konecny scored two goals for Philadelphia (19-13-6) on the same day he was named to play in the 2024 NHL All-Star Game. Joel Farabee and Sean Couturier each had two assists, and Samuel Ersson made 26 saves. The Flyers lost for the sixth time in their past seven (1-3-3).

"I don't think we necessarily played bad in the third, I just think we were trying to hold on instead of being aggressive," Farabee said. "When you do that, teams are too good in this League, they're going to get their chances. I feel like we've got to stay aggressive in the third there, keep the pressure on them and not try to sit back and win the game."

Severson made it 2-1 on a one-timer at 5:24 of the third period.

That goal started to turn the tide, and then Bean tied it 2-2 at 10:20 when he skated the puck into the Philadelphia zone, dropped a pass for Jack Roslovic, then redirected his shot over Ersson's blocker.

"You've just got to get one," Severson said. "It starts with one. Their goalie is playing well as well. You start with one, you get that one by him and then you get some momentum and play in their zone and try to claw and get that second, which we did."

The Blue Jackets entered the game with a minus-31 goal differential.

"We've had it done to us more than a few times this year, unfortunately," Severson said. "Teams have come back from not only one, two goals but a lot more than that. So tonight was one of those nights where we just found a way to come back, scratch and claw back and find a way to score two, get it to overtime and then skill takes over from there."

Konecny scored at 17:12 of the first period to make it 1-0 Flyers. Couturier skated the puck into the slot but it rolled off his stick to Farabee, who made a diagonal pass to Konecny on post for a goal.

Philadelphia had a chance to extend its lead with a two-minute 5-on-3 power play after Columbus' Mathieu Olivier was called for interference at 17:45, and on the ensuing face-off Justin Danforth was penalized for delay of game when he covered the puck with his hand.

The Flyers had five shots on goal but Tarasov provided the difference.

"I thought he was outstanding tonight," Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent said. "The 5-on-3, guys in front of him did a good job, but at the end of the day, your goalie has to be your key player, especially in the 3-on-5 and he was really good from start to finish."

The Flyers went ahead 2-0 at 4:29 of the third period when Konecny carried the puck on the left side of the Blue Jackets zone, deked around Bean, cut to the net and slid the puck under Tarasov.

The goals extended Konecny's point streak to six games (four goals, five assists).

"We need to play with the 2-0 lead longer," Flyers coach John Tortorella said. "That's where I think you can grind a team. But we give up the first one too quickly. When they score the second, that's where ... prior to that, they had very few chances, but they piled them up after the second goal. You take a point and go home."

NOTES: Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner, who has been out since Dec. 8 because of a broken jaw, was named to the All-Star Game. ... Konecny will play in the All-Star Game for the second time; he also went in 2020. ... Konecny played a career-high 26:18 and had a season-best seven shots on goal. ... Philadelphia scratched forwards Cam Atkinson and Morgan Frost and used a lineup with 11 forwards and seven defensemen. ... Flyers forward Rhett Gardner played 7:28 in his first NHL game since Jan. 18, 2022. ... Philadelphia defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen played his 700th NHL game. He's the 20th Finland-born player and seventh defenseman to reach that milestone.