Sean Monahan’s last-minute goal gives Columbus Blue Jackets 5-3 win over Philadelphia Flyers

The Columbus Blue Jackets had their third consecutive win against the Philadelphia Flyers thanks to veteran forward Sean Monahan, who scored the decisive go-ahead goal with less than four minutes left in the game on Wednesday night at Nationwide Arena. The Blue Jackets won seven out of their last eight games.The win is a disappointment for the Philadelphia Flyers, who had a tremendous individual performance by Travis Konecny. However, the team was left frustrated as they blew a lead just moments after tying the game late in the contest.Columbus came out strong, setting the tone just 38 seconds into the game when Charlie Coyle scored the first goal with a clean wrist shot assisted by Mathieu Olivier. The goal was Coyle’s special night, as he was recognized before the game for reaching 1,000 games played in the NHL, and marked the Blue Jackets’ strong opening.Sean Monahan scored a goal at 16:32 of the third period. He broke the tie to put the Blue Jackets ahead 4-3. “I think that it's a good sign for us,” Monahan said. “Obviously, putting the puck in that situation, it always feels good. You've got that feeling on the bench, when you're out there, that you're going to win games. So, it's a good feeling to have.”Philadelphia evened the score in the middle of the first period on just its second shot, as Konecny snapped a shot past Elvis Merzlikins to knot the score. The Blue Jackets regained the lead before the intermission, doing so in 4-on-4 play when Kirill Marchenko capped a clean cross-ice pass from Zach Werenski.Mathieu Olivier closed the door with an empty-netter, finishing a strong two-point game. Coyle also scored and assisted, while Werenski and Cole Sillinger each notched two assists. Merzlikins made 24 saves to steady the Blue Jackets in key moments.The Blue Jackets continue to pile up the wins, and games like this one show the team building confidence and poise under pressure. For the Flyers, the loss marked a reminder that missed execution and brief moments of weakness can negate even the best individual play at this point in the season.