COLUMBUS, Ohio _ With 20 games left in the regular season, it's premature to call the Blue Jackets' 4-3 overtime loss Thursday against Philadelphia a mortal blow.
But it's hard to avoid a sense that things are beginning to slip away.
The Jackets had a pair of two-goal leads but couldn't hang on and lost their seventh straight game. Kevin Hayes' goal with 1:09 left in overtime was the game-winner.
The Jackets lost 5-1 at Philadelphia on Tuesday in a game that featured some fluky Flyers goals. The Flyers' victory allowed them to overtake the Jackets in the wild-card standings, and the Jackets relished an immediate rematch. That's what made this loss all the more painful.
The game couldn't have started any better for the Jackets. Oliver Bjorkstrand scored his team-leading 21st goal only 44 seconds in on a wrist shot that beat Brian Elliott. It was Bjorkstrand's 14th goal in his last 17 games.
Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno, who hadn't scored since Jan. 18, made it 2-0 midway through the opening period on a beautiful between-the-legs shot.
Philadelphia, which benefited from some fluky goals on Tuesday, got another for its first score only 23 seconds later. Travis Sanheim's slap shot deflected off Travis Konecny, who fell after getting tangled with Blue Jackets defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov in the crease past Elvis Merzlikins.
The Jackets regained their two-goal cushion when Stefan Matteau, in his team debut after a call-up from Cleveland, tipped a shot by Boone Jenner past Elliott for his first NHL goal since Dec. 4, 2015.
The lead wouldn't last. Nicolas Aube-Kubel made it 3-2 on a wrist shot that went between Gavrikov's legs. Foligno was then called for a penalty and the Flyers quickly took advantage. Sean Couturier fed Claude Giroux from behind the net for a wicked one-time on which Merzlikins had little chance.
The Blue Jackets got a prime chance to regain momentum when they had a 5-on-3 advantage bridging the second and third periods. But they did little with the opportunity.
