If only Travis Konecny could play the Columbus Blue Jackets every night.
Konecny scored his third career hat trick in Wednesday night’s Flyers-Jackets game at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
The final goal came with 4:46 to play to even the score at 3-3. He now has 20 goals in 31 games for his career vs. Columbus.
Unfortunately for the Flyers, the Blue Jackets’ Sean Monahan scored soon after — with 3:28 to play — and the Flyers wound up losing lost, 5-3.
Konecny’s first two goals kept the score close but Columbus finally prevailed.
Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar, just back from an injury recovery stint, did his best to hold the fort but the task was too much. He made at least two spectacular saves, including one on Boone Jenner halfway through the third period from point-blank range.
Columbus took a 2-1 lead near the end of the first period on a play which had the Flyers’ bench rather incensed.
Owen Tippett and Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski were battling for a puck along the boards when Werenski’s stick appeared to interfere with Tippett, who fell to the ice.
That left a clear pathway for Werenski to go to the net. Seconds later, he passed to Kirill Marchenko and Columbus was ahead.
The game did not start off in positive fashion for the Flyers.
Charlie Coyle, who just played his 1,000th game the other night, received a timely pass after a Trevor Zegras turnover at the boards. It was clear sailing and the Jackets had a 1-0 lead.
The Flyers got that one back at 9:03. Konecny took a pass from Cam York, circled to the right hash marks and beat goaltender Elvis Merzlikins.
Columbus struck again in the second period to make it 3-1.
In the third, Konecny scored at 4:08 to keep the Flyers in it.
>Reunion of coaches
It wasn’t the first time Flyers coach Rick Tocchet and new Columbus Blue Jackets coach Rick Bowness have faced each other and most likely it won’t be the last.
Bowness, just hired by Columbus to take over a slumping outfit, had his players emotionally charged for this game.
The Blue Jackets, now 6-1 under Bowness, scored just 38 seconds into the game and that kind of set the tone for the night as the Flyers lost their second straight game.
Tocchet said it’s always a challenge matching wits with the veteran Bowness, who is just the fourth coach to work behind a bench past the age of 70 in NHL history.
The two last faced each other behind opposing benches at the 2024 NHL All-Star Game when Tocchet was coach of the Vancouver Canucks and Bowness was with the Winnipeg Jets.
“When I talk about him, first class,” Tocchet said. “He can be hard when he needs to be but also put an arm around you when a player needs. It’s a trust factor. He can get in your face but put an arm around you and earn the player’s trust.”
The two remain friends away from the game.
“He’s a guy you don’t even have to talk to for six months,” Tocchet said. “Then you see him and it’s like it was yesterday. In the game, it’s all competition. I just know Rick Bowness will be prepared to play.”
>Ristolainen injured
Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, just back from his second injury stint of the season, had to leave the game after just two shifts in the first period and did not return. The injury is listed as lower body.
>Short shots
Defenseman Emil Andrae was a healthy scratch. He was replaced by Noah Juulsen. . .The Flyers complete the two-game trip on Thursday night in Boston. . .Konecny’s goal gives him 37 career points vs. the Blue Jackets, the most against any NHL team. He has 30 against New Jersey and Pittsburgh. . .Garnet Hathaway, who was scratched on Wednesday night, has 168 hits, sixth in the NHL. . .Since Dec. 20, the Flyers lead the NHL in shorthanded goals with five. . .Matvei Michkov was stopped by Merzlikins on a first period breakaway. . .Sean Couturier’s goal drought hit 25 games. . .Besides the save on Jenner, Vladar also stoned Adam Fantilli earlier in the period.
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