Some nights, one player refuses to let his team lose. On March 14, 2026, Kirill Marchenko delivered exactly that kind of performance against the Philadelphia Flyers. He scored his 100th career NHL goal in regulation and then put the game away in the shootout. The Columbus Blue Jackets walked out of Philadelphia with two massive points and serious momentum.
This win was bigger than just one night on the road. It was proof that a young Blue Jackets team is maturing fast and competing hard at the most important stretch of the season. Columbus is chasing a playoff spot and nobody is giving them anything.
Let’s take a closer look.
Marchenko opens the scoring early
The Russian winger wasted no time announcing his presence in Philadelphia. Just 4:21 into the first period, a scramble in front of the net sent the puck squirting out to the high slot. Marchenko jumped on it and blasted a wrist shot past Flyers goalie Dan Vladar. It was clean, sharp, and exactly the kind of finish you expect from a player operating with full confidence right now.
That goal was not just any tally. It was Marchenko’s 100th career NHL goal, making him only the ninth Blue Jackets player ever to reach that milestone. He reached the mark in fewer games than most franchise scorers before him. The moment carried weight well beyond the box score.
Fun fact: When Marchenko made his NHL debut in December 2022, his first 13 career points were all goals with zero assists. That made him only the third player in NHL history to start a career that way.
Alex Bump ties it for Philadelphia
The Flyers answered quickly and reminded everyone this was far from over. About six minutes after Marchenko’s opener, Philadelphia rookie Alex Bump deflected a shot by defenseman Emil Andrae past Blue Jackets goalie Jet Greaves. The officials initially waved off the goal.
After a video review confirmed the puck crossed the line before bouncing back out, the goal stood, and the game was tied at one. The tying score was only the second of Bump’s young NHL career across five games. It showed real composure for a rookie under pressure. From that point forward, the game tightened considerably, and scoring chances dried up on both sides.
Marchenko delivers the winning shot
After the first five shootout attempts from both teams came up empty, Marchenko stepped onto the ice in the third round for Columbus. He made a late move to his backhand and lifted the puck smoothly over Vladar to give the Blue Jackets the win. The goal was precisely what he had planned.
Marchenko later joked that he had told the media before the game he was going five-hole. He changed the move instead, beat Vladar with a backhand, and improved to 10-for-15 in his NHL shootout career, one of the best success rates in league history.
Overtime produces no winner
Overtime was a cautious affair, and neither team recorded an official shot on goal in the period. Marchment had a scoring chance midway through overtime, but the deadlock held, and the game moved to a shootout.
The most dangerous moment came in the final minute when Flyers forward Matvei Michkov got a semi-breakaway. He reached the zone with speed but lost the puck at the last second before getting a shot away. Greaves never had to make the stop. The game rolled into a shootout with everything still to play for.
Greaves shuts the door in the shootout
The young Blue Jackets goalie delivered when it mattered most and made it look easy. Jet Greaves denied all three Philadelphia shooters in the shootout without much drama. He stopped Michkov with a pad save, waited out Trevor Zegras on a backhand attempt, and then gloved Travis Konecny’s forehand try cleanly. Three shots, three stops. Greaves made skilled forwards look ordinary in the most important moments of the night.
Greaves added another highlight to a breakout season with his work in Philadelphia. He stopped all three Flyers shooters in the shootout and continued to establish himself as a key piece of Columbus’ playoff push.
Fun fact: Jet Greaves was never drafted by an NHL team. He lost his final OHL season to COVID and built his entire professional career through sheer perseverance. Nobody handed him anything, and that makes every big save feel even more earned.
Bowness credits the character of his group
Rick Bowness spoke after the game about how proud he was of a group that played three road games in a week without once giving up 20 shots against in five-on-five play. Columbus outclassed their opponents two to one in the process. That kind of discipline under fatigue is a sign of a mature and well-coached team.
The Blue Jackets now hold points in 19 of 21 games under Bowness, going 15-2-4 in that span. That record speaks for itself. Columbus is not sneaking up on anyone anymore. They are a legitimate playoff contender that has earned every point they have through hard work, smart structure, and clutch performances from players like Marchenko and Greaves.
The playoff race heats up
Every point Columbus earned at this stage carried major weight in the Eastern Conference race. After the win in Philadelphia, the Blue Jackets improved to 34-21-11 with 79 points, and NHL.com said they were one point behind the Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings for one of the two Eastern Conference wild-card spots.
The fight for the second wild card involves multiple teams within striking distance. Boston and Detroit are in the mix, while Ottawa and Washington are not far behind. Columbus controls its own destiny with 16 games remaining. Every game from here feels exactly like what Marchenko said after the win in Philadelphia. It looks like a playoff game.
TL;DR
- Kirill Marchenko scored his 100th career NHL goal and then won the game with the decisive shootout goal.
- Jet Greaves made 18 saves and denied all three Flyers shooters in the shootout.
- Alex Bump tied the game in the first period with a deflection that was initially waved off.
- Columbus extended its points streak to nine games and sits one point out of an Eastern wild-card spot.
This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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