The Columbus Blue Jackets have won four in a row to keep alive their flickering postseason aspirations.
The Blue Jackets (38-33-9, 85 points) will bid to continue their ascent on Tuesday when they visit the Philadelphia Flyers (33-37-10, 76 points). And hope they still have a chance at a postseason berth.
Columbus resides three points behind the Montreal Canadiens in pursuit of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with two games remaining. The Canadiens, however, can eliminate Columbus from postseason contention with a win against the visiting Chicago Blackhawks on Monday night.
“We were watching (Montreal’s previous) game last night at dinner when we got here, and we’re watching the game (on Monday night) as well,” Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski said. “We’ll see what happens, but all we can control is our game. Hopefully it works out in our favor.”
It worked out in Columbus’ favor on Sunday, as Adam Fantilli recorded his second consecutive multi-goal performance to help the club sweep a home-and-home series against the Washington Capitals.
Werenski, who also scored a goal in Sunday’s 4-1 win, leads the Blue Jackets in both assists (56) and points (78). He has scored three goals in three games this season against the Flyers, including two in a 3-2 shootout victory in Columbus on Jan. 14.
Kirill Marchenko put in the decisive goal in the shootout in that contest. He has a team-leading 31 goals this season, although he has failed to find the net since registering a hat trick against the Nashville Predators on April 1.
Jet Greaves made 29 saves for the Blue Jackets on Sunday. He has turned aside 90 of 93 shots over his past three outings.
“We’ve seen it a number of times this year, and for him to come in here and do what he’s doing right now this time in these important games, it’s been unbelievable,” Werenski said of Greaves. “I think it’s given our team a big boost. Hats off to him. He’s played incredible and obviously played a lot of hockey the last couple days.”
The Flyers fell in overtime on Sunday to pick up a point for the sixth time in seven games (5-1-1) since Brad Shaw became the interim team’s coach.
“You play with pride in these games,” fourth-liner Garnet Hathaway said after collecting a goal and an assist in Philadelphia’s 4-3 setback to the Ottawa Senators on Sunday. “You play because you love it, you play because it’s your job and you play for the guy next to you. And it shouldn’t matter (where you are in the standings); we don’t want to lose our identity, lose good habits, start playing sloppy hockey and have that lead into our summer.
“We take a lot of pride wearing this jersey. So, you’re going to see a competitive group until the end.”
Travis Konecny scored two goals and set up three others in three games against Columbus this season.
Konecny leads the team in assists (51) and points (75), while his 24 goals are tied for top honors on the club with rookie Matvei Michkov and Tyson Foerster.
