Jet Greaves made 29 saves as the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets kept their playoff hopes alive with a 3-0 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday.
Named the NHL’s First Star of the Week, Greaves denied Tyson Foerster on a point-blank chance early in the third period to highlight his second shutout of the season. He has turned aside 120 of 123 shots over his last four games.
Defenseman Dante Fabbro and Kent Johnson each scored in the second period and Adam Fantilli tallied in the third for his 30th goal of the season and fifth in his last three games.
Sean Monahan and defenseman Zach Werenski each notched two assists for the Blue Jackets (39-33-9, 87 points), who have won five in a row to move within two points of the Montreal Canadiens for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Canadiens wrap up their regular season against the visiting Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday, while Columbus will conclude its slate with a home game versus the New York Islanders on Thursday.
Samuel Ersson turned aside 31 shots for the Flyers (33-38-10, 76 points), who have lost two in a row on the heels of winning five of their previous six games.
Columbus won a draw in the offensive zone and Werenski provided a nifty pass to set up Fabbro. The latter unleashed a shot from above the right circle that sailed past a screened Ersson to open the scoring 2:32 into the second period.
Fabbro’s eighth goal gave him a career-high 25 points on the season, surpassing his previous-best total in 2021-22 with the Nashville Predators.
Johnson scored seven seconds into a power play to double the Blue Jackets’ advantage with 2:59 remaining in the second period. He dropped to his knee before wiring a one-timer from the right circle that beat Ersson.
Fantilli deflected Kirill Marchenko’s pass into the net on a rush to cap the scoring with 6:34 left in the third.
–Field Level Media
