BOSTON -- The Philadelphia Flyers' goal that came directly from winning a faceoff happened so quickly most people in the Wachovia Center on Tuesday probably didn't see it.

Count Blue Jackets goaltender Mathieu Garon among them.

Garon said yesterday he was still peeking at the arena scoreboard as the linesman dropped the puck and Flyers center Jeff Carter shot it past him from the right faceoff circle for a tie-breaking goal in the second period. The Flyers went on to win 5-3.

As playoff hopes begin to simmer, it's the time of season players do more scoreboard watching.

"Before every faceoff, I always look up and see how much time is left and I might look at a replay," Garon said.

Neither Garon nor Blue Jackets center Sammy Pahlsson were expecting Carter to try a direct shot. But Carter has a history of attempting it when he takes faceoffs on his forehand. The puck whistled past a startled Garon so fast he's not certain how it entered the net.

"I was not really set for it," Garon said. "I was turning my head for the faceoff and it was pretty much in already. I think it went five-hole (between the legs), I'm not really sure."

Replays showed it going just inside the far post.

Coach Ken Hitchcock said Garon is not his first goaltender to get caught gawking at the scoreboard in the Wachovia Center.

While coaching the Flyers on Oct. 14, 2005, Hitchcock saw goaltender Antero Niittymaki allow a goal to Pittsburgh's Maxime Talbot from center ice off a faceoff.

"This is a bad building for me," Hitchcock said. "Niittymaki was watching something on the scoreboard and they golfed it down the ice for a goal."

Mason gets another shot

The Blue Jackets are going back to goaltender Steve Mason tonight against the Boston Bruins. Mason has started just twice in the past seven games and has given up six goals in each loss.

"It's the combination of giving up bad goals and having a few bad breaks, and it all adds up," Mason said. "I know I have to be better."

Mason shut out the Bruins last season 2-0.

Commodore on the mend

Defenseman Mike Commodore said he expects to play against Boston. He sat out in Philadelphia because of a sore left knee after getting struck Monday with a slap shot from St. Louis' Erik Johnson.

Adjustment phase

Defenseman Milan Jurcina is struggling to adjust to a different defensive philosophy than the one he followed for the past several seasons in Washington, Hitchcock said.

Jurcina was a healthy scratch Tuesday and might sit out again tonight.

"In Washington, the defensemen attack the rush, keeping a very tight gap (with the Captials') forwards," Hitchcock said.

Hitchcock said Commodore went through a similar adjustment period when he was traded from Carolina to Ottawa in 2008.

treed@dispatch.com