Blue Jackets beat Flyers 5-3 for third straight win

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Charlie Coyle had a goal and an assist and the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-3 on Wednesday night for their third straight win.

Kirill Marchenko, Eric Gudbranson, Sean Monahan and Mathieu Olivier also scored for the Blue Jackets to offset a hat trick by Philadelphia’s Travis Konecny.

Elvis Merzlikins stopped 24 shots for Columbus and Zach Werenski had two assists, giving him 35 points in his last 21 home games.

The Blue Jackets have won seven of their last eight games and are tied at 57 points with the Flyers and Capitals for fourth place in the Metropolitan Division.

Konecny’s hat trick was the third of his career and Dan Vladar made 26 saves in his first start after missing six games with a lower-body injury. Rasmus Ristolainen left with a lower-body injury in the first period and did not return in the Flyers’ second straight loss.

Coyle gave Columbus the lead 38 seconds into the game before Konecny pulled Philadelphia even at 9:03.

Marchenko put the Blue Jackets back in front with 19.3 seconds left in the first, skating four-on-four, before Gudbranson made it 3-1 at 1:57 of the second period, with his first goal of the season and a league-leading 39th by a Blue Jackets defenseman.

Konecny pulled Philadelphia within a goal at 4:08 of the third period and completed his hat trick at 4:46 to tie it. His 38 points against Columbus are the most he has against any NHL team.

Monahan put Columbus back in front to stay with 3:28 left in the third, and Olivier sealed the win with an empty-netter with 1:06 remaining.

Up next

Flyers: Visit Boston on Thursday night.

Blue Jackets: Visit Chicago on Friday night.

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