Panthers Rout Blue Jackets 7-3 After Second-Period Surge

The Columbus Blue Jackets suffered back-to-back losses after taking first-period leads, with second-period collapses exposing persistent problems with consistency and execution. Against the St. Louis Blues, Columbus squandered a 2-0 advantage in a 5-3 defeat; coach Rick Bowness pointed to mental errors and declining intensity, including a too-many-men penalty, while defensive mistakes helped set up the winning goal. Two days later, the Florida Panthers scored four consecutive second-period goals on the way to a 7-3 victory, with Brady Tkachuk recording a hat trick and Matthew Tkachuk assisting on Florida’s first five goals. The Blue Jackets also struggled on the penalty kill, allowing four power-play goals against Florida.