Blue Jackets End Road Trip in Philadelphia

Columbus looks to gain ground in playoff race against Flyers

Mar. 14, 2026 at 11:12am

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The Columbus Blue Jackets are wrapping up a road trip with a Saturday night matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers. Despite a strong defensive effort in their previous two games, the Blue Jackets only managed to come away with one point in an overtime loss to the Florida Panthers. However, the team remains in the hunt for a playoff spot, sitting just one point behind Boston for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Blue Jackets are focused on earning two points in each game down the stretch to secure a postseason berth.

Why it matters

This game has significant playoff implications for the Blue Jackets, who are looking to solidify their position in the crowded Eastern Conference wild card race. A win over the Flyers would help Columbus gain ground on the teams ahead of them in the standings.

The details

In their previous game against the Panthers, the Blue Jackets dominated possession and limited Florida to just 16 shots in regulation. However, they were unable to capitalize on their chances, with former Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky making several key saves to preserve the win for the Panthers. The Blue Jackets' strong defensive structure and forechecking have been the keys to their recent success, and they'll look to continue that formula against the Flyers.

  • The Blue Jackets are coming off a 2-1 overtime loss to the Florida Panthers on Thursday, March 14, 2026.
  • The Blue Jackets and Flyers will face off on Saturday, March 16, 2026.

The players

Sergei Bobrovsky

A former goaltender for the Blue Jackets who made 30 saves to lead the Panthers to victory over his former team.

Rick Bowness

The head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who has led the team to an 18-game point streak (14-2-4) since taking over.

Boone Jenner

The captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who has emphasized the team's strong defensive structure and forechecking as keys to their recent success.

Adam Fantilli

A young forward for the Blue Jackets who is focused on the team earning two points in each game down the stretch to secure a playoff spot.

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What they’re saying

“Very happy with the way we played. Listen, we gave up 16 shots on net for 60 minutes. We dominated the game. Give Bob credit; he was the difference in the game, it's as simple as that.”

— Rick Bowness, Head Coach, Columbus Blue Jackets (nhl.com)

“It starts with our structure. If we're in the right structure, our skill, our legs, our compete kind of take over. We get a lot of minutes in the O-zone and kind of hem teams in and be really hard to play against.”

— Boone Jenner, Captain, Columbus Blue Jackets (nhl.com)

“You're happy to get a point, but that's the third time I'm standing here saying we're happy to get a point. Eventually it's not good enough. We want two. We need two to get in the playoffs.”

— Adam Fantilli (nhl.com)

What’s next

The Blue Jackets will look to earn two points against the Flyers on Saturday, March 16, 2026, as they continue their push for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

The takeaway

The Blue Jackets' strong defensive play and forechecking have kept them in the playoff hunt, but they know they need to start converting their chances into wins to solidify their position. A victory over the Flyers would be a crucial step in their quest to secure a postseason berth.