COLUMBUS — The Blue Jackets have won two straight games for the first time this season, but head coach Rick Bowness has plenty to address following Tuesday night's 4-3 overtime victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.
Columbus scored three times in less than three minutes during the opening period, appearing to take complete control of the game. By the end of regulation, however, the Blue Jackets were fortunate just to be headed to overtime.
Philadelphia outshot Columbus 28-6 over the final two periods, including a staggering 15-1 advantage in the third. The Flyers scored twice in the final five minutes, with Jamie Drysdale tying the game with just 11 seconds remaining.
"Just clearly got away from our game," Bowness said afterward. "That's all. It was such a dominant first period, that's how we want to play."
The coach acknowledged that the Blue Jackets knew Philadelphia would respond after falling behind 3-0. Columbus simply didn't handle that pressure well enough, allowing the Flyers to control play for much of the final 40 minutes.
The difference between the first and third periods was troubling to say the least. Columbus generated seven shots in the opening period while holding Philadelphia to just two. By the third, the Blue Jackets managed only one shot as the Flyers repeatedly pressured Cam Talbot.
Talbot deserves plenty of credit for keeping Columbus in the game, finishing with 28 saves. Without his performance, the Blue Jackets probably would not have made it to overtime.
Kent Johnson eventually secured the victory, scoring his second goal of the night 2:22 into overtime following a two-on-none rush with Adam Fantilli. Johnson finished with three points, while Zach Werenski recorded two assists.
The victory improved Columbus to 5-5-0 and followed Saturday's 2-1 overtime win over Vegas. Winning consecutive games is encouraging, especially after an inconsistent start, but the Blue Jackets cannot expect to repeatedly survive stretches in which they generate almost no offense.
Columbus showed what it can do during Tuesday's opening period. The next challenge is maintaining that level of play rather than allowing opponents to take control once the Blue Jackets build a lead.
The Blue Jackets visit Carolina on Thursday for another difficult road test. They've begun putting wins together, but they'll need more consistent performances to keep the streak going.
