Flyers Fall to Blue Jackets Despite Konecny’s Hat Trick, Vladar’s Return
The Philadelphia Flyers had a shot at redemption Wednesday night after getting blanked on Monday. Instead, they ran into a surging Columbus Blue Jackets squad and dropped a 5-3 decision that left more questions than answers. Travis Konecny showed up in a big way, Dan Vladar returned with a gutsy effort between the pipes, but beyond that, the Flyers struggled to find rhythm-especially on the back end.
Let’s break it down.
Travis Konecny: A+
This was the kind of game that reminds you why Travis Konecny is one of the emotional engines of this team. He didn’t just show up-he took over.
Konecny was relentless on the forecheck, smart with his positioning, and lethal when it mattered most. He scored all three of Philadelphia’s goals, tying the game multiple times and giving the Flyers a fighting chance throughout. His hat trick also made him the first Flyer to hit the 20-goal mark this season.
In a game where the offense was otherwise quiet, Konecny carried the load-and then some.
Dan Vladar: A
Back in net for the first time since leaving a game on January 14, Dan Vladar had a tall task: slow down a Blue Jackets team that had just put up eight goals the night before. And while the stat line won’t wow anyone-26 saves on 30 shots-Vladar’s performance was far better than the numbers suggest.
He gave up a goal on the first shot he faced, but from there, he settled in and battled. The third period, in particular, was a showcase of his resilience. He kept the Flyers within striking distance with several key stops, many of them coming in high-danger situations.
Sure, a couple of the goals against might’ve been preventable-but it’s hard to pin much blame on Vladar. Defensive lapses in front of him made his job significantly harder, and he still managed to keep Philly in it late.
Michkov-Barkey-Tippett Line: B
The line of Matvei Michkov, Denver Barkey, and Owen Tippett has been quietly effective in recent games, often described as “noticeable”-not always producing points, but making an impact with energy and puck movement.
Wednesday night, though, they weren’t quite as sharp. Each had a few flashes-Barkey found himself with a couple of good looks, Michkov showed his usual poise, and Tippett created some space-but none of it translated into goals. They weren’t liabilities, but they didn’t tilt the ice either.
In a tight game like this, one more play from this trio might’ve made the difference.
Team Defense: D
This is where things unraveled.
The Flyers were down to five defensemen early after Rasmus Ristolainen left during his second shift, and it showed. Defensive zone coverage was inconsistent at best and disorganized at worst. Positioning broke down repeatedly, leading to prime scoring chances for Columbus.
The opening goal came after a turnover at the blue line with Flyers players already heading up ice, leaving Charlie Coyle wide open in the slot. Marchenko’s tally was the result of a defensive misread-Tippett and Sanheim both collapsed on Werenski, leaving Marchenko untouched for a clean one-timer.
The Gudbranson goal? Vladar likely never saw it. And Monahan’s game-winner was the product of a complete breakdown-Michkov looked to be jumping the zone early, Noah Cates was caught in no-man’s land, and Monahan walked into a Grade-A scoring chance.
This wasn’t just on the defensemen-it was a team-wide issue. The Flyers looked out of sync in their own end, and against a team with offensive momentum like Columbus, that’s a recipe for trouble.
The Bottom Line
The Flyers had the individual performances to make this a winnable game.
Konecny was electric. Vladar was solid in his return.
But hockey’s a team sport, and when the collective effort-especially defensively-doesn’t match the individual highlights, wins are hard to come by.
If the Flyers want to stay in the mix down the stretch, they’ll need more than just a few standouts. They’ll need cleaner play in their own zone, more consistent secondary scoring, and a full 60-minute effort. Wednesday night, they didn’t get it.
And the result showed.