The Columbus Blue Jackets outshot the Philadelphia Flyers, but couldn't find the back of the net more than once in the 5-1 loss.
The Flyers found the back of the net on their first two shots of the game. The first came off a tough bounce, while the second was a missed deke, that still made its way through Merzlikins. The rest of the first could be characterized by no one hitting the net as only seven more shots on net were recorded in the first.
The Flyers put another goal on the board in the second after another puck deflected off the defense and into the net. Bjorkstrand was able to find the back of the net on the powerplay to give the Jackets some life near the end of the period.
In the third, the Flyers found the back of the net again as a shot from the point was tipped out in front by two players before slipping between Merzlikins' legs. After the goal, Kivlenieks entered the game for the Jackets. The Flyers continued to pour it on by scoring on the powerplay after an impressive passing display including Giroux making a pass from his knees.
Let's get into tonight's three things.
Rough Night for Peeke
Andrew Peeke did not have a terrible game, but three of the Flyers' goals involved the young defender.
The first seemed to bounce off of Peeke's skate and over Merzlikins' shoulder.
Then on the second one, the puck slipped through Peeke's legs and on to Couturier's stick for a breakaway. Harrington tried to get back and may have disrupted the shot, but the puck slid through Merzlikin's legs.
In the second period, the puck again deflected off of Peeke's skate, but this time slid behind Merzlikins and into the net.
Bjorkstrand, First 20 Goal Scorer for CBJ
Some impressive passing by Werenski and Bemstrom led to a powerplay goal for Oliver Bjorkstrand making him the first Blue Jackets player to reach 20 goals on the season.
The Danish Dynamo just can't help himself. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/eSfgJL1DIH
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) February 19, 2020
The Jackets have counted on the entire line-up to score this season, but the fact it took 61 games this season to produce a 20 goal scorer is not a good sign as only four other teams do not have a 20 goal scorer and all of those teams are at or near the bottom of the standings, except for the Flyers.
Through 61 games last year, the Blue Jackets had four 20-goal scorers.
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) February 19, 2020
Through 61 games this year, the Blue Jackets have one 20-goal scorer.
This team being in the playoff hunt continues to be bewildering.#CBJ
No Puck Luck for Elvis
Elvis Merzlikins was pulled after the Flyers fourth goal on the night, but despite having four goals against him, it was not a goalie pull, but a team pull.
When looking at the stats it can be easy to say that Elvis had a bad game in net, but two goals went off the skate of his defenseman, one goal was a breakaway in which the player lost the puck during a deke and it slid in any way and another was deflected right in front of the crease by two players. In an ideal world, you would like him to make the save on the breakaway, but sometimes the puck does not bounce your way, and that was tonight for Elvis.
