Blue Jackets avoid elimination with 3-0 win over Flyers
Fantilli, Fabbro, Greaves and Evason discuss the Blue Jackets’ fifth straight win to avoid playoff elimination.
PHILADELPHIA — The team with a puncher’s chance of getting into the Stanley Cup Playoffs landed another roundhouse right April 15 at Wells Fargo Center.
Skating in the hometown of fictional boxing legend Rocky Balboa, the ultimate underdog, the Blue Jackets continued their own quest to overcome long odds with a 3-0 shutout of the Philadelphia Flyers in a game they had to win. Facing elimination in the NHL’s Eastern Conference race with anything but a win in regulation, the Jackets notched their fifth straight victory to keep their chances afloat.
Jet Greaves, a scorching hot rookie goalie who joined the team April 10 as an emergency recall from the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, notched his second NHL shutout in the past three games and Adam Fantilli’s fifth goal in that same span sealed it.
They still need help April 16 in Montreal to get one final shot at controlling their own destiny April 17 against the New York Islanders, but the Blue Jackets avoided the chopping block again.
Here are five takeaways:
The Canadiens have the easier path to the playoffs despite facing pressure in their regular season finale against the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night at Bell Centre.
Anything but a loss in regulation time will get Montreal into the playoffs and hand the idle Blue Jackets a bitter end to a memorable season. The Jackets need a Carolina win over the Canadiens in regulation to keep their hopes going. Should that happen, they also must combine it with a regulation win over the Islanders on Thursday at Nationwide Arena to clinch a playoff spot based on regulation wins as the NHL’s first standings tiebreaker.
“Everybody’s pulling in the same direction,” Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason said. “We’ve been fortunate to get some wins here. We need to get one more.”
Jet Greaves is sizzling hot between the pipes for Columbus Blue Jackets
Fantilli smiled and laughed when asked about Greaves’ sizzling performance between the pipes since being recalled April 10 as Elvis Merzlikins’ injury replacement.
“He’s maybe the hottest guy in the NHL right now,” Fantilli said. “He’s got one goal against him in the last three games … and it’s Ovi? I mean … that’s pretty good.”
While going 4-0-0 to preserve the Blue Jackets’ playoff hopes, Greaves has pitched two shutouts and stopped 119 of 122 shots for a .975 save percentage. As Fantilli pointed out, Greaves has allowed just one goal by recently crowned NHL goal king Alex Ovechkin in the past three games (82 shots).
Adam Fantilli adds emotional goal to his impressive second NHL season
The Blue Jackets’ final push to stay relevant in the playoff race has coincided with several clutch performers leading the way, including Fantilli. His goal Tuesday against the Flyers was his fifth in the past three games and made it 3-0 to seal the win.
It was also his 30th goal of the season, a milestone that many players never reach. Fantilli also felt added emotion after attending his grandfather’s funeral on April 14 in Toronto. Kiril Marchenko got the assist with a shot/pass that deflected off Fantilli into the net.
“Yesterday (April 14), I flew back to Toronto, and I buried my grandfather,” Fantilli said. “His favorite team was Philly. That’s going to sound like I’m joking when I say that, but I swear his favorite team was Philly, and coming back, I’m pretty sure that was him just giving me a lucky bounce there.”
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Dante Fabbro is a waivers gift who keeps on giving
Dante Fabbro has scored some big goals since being claimed off waivers from the Nashville Predators in November, including his eighth of the season Tuesday against the Flyers.
Fabbro’s goal made it 1-0 and allowed the Jackets to play with a lead they held to the final horn. That’s not a scenario they’ve had much since defeating the Detroit Red Wings on March 1 at Ohio Stadium, but it’s one that often leads to wins.
Fabbro, meanwhile, has unlocked a new level of offensive production since becoming Zach Werenski’s partner. The goal extended his career-high in a season to eight, while the point from the goal set a new career-high with 25 points.
“Obviously, I’m playing with great players,” Fabbro said. “I’m not putting any damper on anything. I’m just playing some offensive zone stuff and whatnot, and they’ve given me a lot of leash to go out there and try to be creative. But my biggest asset is my defensive game and how I ty to take care of the puck.”
Sean Monahan has the Columbus Blue Jackets’ power play humming again
It can’t be overstated how important center Sean Monahan is to the Blue Jackets’ top power play unit as the “bumper” in the middle of their 1-3-1 setup.
Monahan finished with two assists against the Flyers, including one beautiful no-look dish out to Kent Johnson for a power-play goal that made it 2-0 late in the second period.
Since Monahan returned from wrist surgery March 24, the Blue Jackets are clicking at 24% on power plays after scoring six goals on 25 man-advantage opportunities. That ranks 12th highest in the NHL during that timeframe after the Jackets had sunk to last in the league while Monahan was sidelined.
Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com and @BrianHedger.bsky.social
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