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Werenski injury a concern after Columbus Blue Jackets' OT meltdown: 5 takeaways
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- Werenski injury a concern after Columbus Blue Jackets' OT meltdown: 5 takeaways
Three blown leads in the third period of a game that ended up a loss in overtime should've been the main storyline for the Blue Jackets on Saturday night.
More: Columbus Blue Jackets crumble in stinging overtime loss to Philadelphia Flyers
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Instead, their stinging 5-4 OT loss to the Flyers in Philadelphia takes a back seat to the health of star defenseman Zach Werenski , who was injured early in the third period and gutted through it while slowed by limited mobility in his left leg.
Elvis Merzlikins was also torched for five goals after going 16 for 16 in the first 40 minutes, Owen Tippett was a one-man wrecking ball when it mattered most, the Blue Jackets continued to struggle with puck possession and the Flyers memorialized Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau with a pregame ceremony that included their family.
Here are five takeaways:
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (8) corrals a puck during the second period of the NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on Dec. 19, 2024.
Columbus Blue Jackets hoping for the best with Zach Werenski 's knee
Less than two minutes into the third, Werenski got tangled up hitting Tippett and crashed hard into the boards. His left knee slammed directly into the plastic kick plate, leaving him down in pain and barely able to stand on his own.
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Somehow, he returned 4:26 later with limited mobility and finished the game, still skating 27:27 that included three overtime shifts. Werenski was also defending during the Flyers' four goals in the third, all scored after his injury. The question now is how his knee will react before a home game Monday against the Montreal Canadiens .
"I'm hoping he doesn't seize up now, because he was at the end and in overtime," Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason said during a televised postgame press conference. "He's obviously a massive part of our hockey club, and to have him (come) back, I mean, we were down to four (defensemen) there for a little bit. Hopefully he can go."
Werenski is the Blue Jackets' second highest scorer with 32 points in 34 games on 11 goals and 21 assists, which ranks third among all NHL defensemen in scoring.
Dec 21, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers right wing Owen Tippett (74) looks to toss a puck into the stands after being named the game's first star in win against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Columbus Blue Jackets had no answer for Philadelphia Flyers forward Owen Tippett
Tippett is a swift skating forward with a great shot, but his playmaking skills incinerated Merzlikins and the Blue Jackets in the third and OT. He assisted Morgan Frost 's two goals, picked up another assist on Tyson Foerster 's 6-on-5 equalizer to force overtime and then dragged the puck around Merzlikins' right pad in overtime.
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Finding a way to slow Tippett and his line during even one of the Flyers' goals could have made the difference, but the Blue Jackets couldn't do it.
Dec 21, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers right wing Owen Tippett (74) scores the the game-winning goal against Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins (90) during the overtime period at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Dream sequence for Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins becomes nightmare in loss to Philadelphia Flyers
Elvis Merzlikins' razor-sharp focus from an outstanding performance Thursday against the New Jersey Devils carried into this game. The Blue Jackets' netminder stopped every shot he faced in the first two periods, including multiple sprawling denials against odd-man rushes, but his night became nightmarish in the third.
Tippett's incredible reverse pass to Frost got it started in the third, igniting an avalanche of goals that snowballed on Merzlikins and the Blue Jackets down the stretch. After the smoke cleared, Merzlikins sprawled out face down in his crease. He symbolized the frustrations of his team and its fans, who've all dealt with too many losses like this one the past few years.
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"We have a couple glorious chances in overtime, too, right?" Evason said. "It could've been a completely different chat right now. Listen, do we want the extra point? A hundred percent. We didn't get it. We got one. We'll move forward."
Dec 21, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins (90) makes a save against Philadelphia Flyers center Scott Laughton (21) during the second period at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Columbus Blue Jackets' possession struggle continues in OT loss to Philadelphia Flyers
It's been almost two weeks since the Blue Jackets have dictated play by keeping the puck inside the opposing blue line. Their ability to do that has completely disappeared since an impressive win Dec. 8 in Winnipeg , which felt like a key win that might kickstart a hot streak.
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Instead, the Blue Jackets since have become one of the NHL's worst teams at generating attempts, shots, scoring chances and goals amid a frustrating 1-3-3 stretch that continued in Philadelphia. According to Natural Stat Trick, the Flyers finished with 61% of the game's attempted shots, 55% of its shots, 58% of scoring chances, 55% of high-danger chances and 58% of the expected goals in all situations.
Even worse news is that things could get worse if Werenski has to miss time.
Columbus Blue Jackets, Philadelphia Flyers honor Gaudreau s
Prior to the game, the Gaudreau family gathered on the ice for a ceremonial puck-drop wearing Gloucester Catholic jerseys representing the school where Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau played in nearby South Jersey during high school. Flyers players also arrived wearing Gloucester Catholic jerseys to honor the Gaudreau brothers, who were killed in late August when struck by a vehicle while biking near their hometown in South Jersey.
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The ceremony was the third of its kind for Blue Jackets, who previously participated in one before their Oct. 15 home-opener at Nationwide Arena and another Dec. 3 in Calgary — where Johnny Gaudreau became an NHL star while playing the first 10 years of his professional career.
There aren't any remaining Gaudreau ties with other teams left on the Blue Jackets' schedule, but it wouldn't be a surprise if the brothers and the Gaudreau family are somehow honored March 1 prior to an outdoor game at Ohio Stadium against the Detroit Red Wings .
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Werenski injury tops 5 takeaways after Columbus Blue Jackets' OT loss
