Flyers Lose Late Lead, Fall to Flames in Shootout

By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 

The Calgary Flames entered Philadelphia on Saturday on a six-game losing streak. They had not scored in three straight road games. Two bounces changed that, and put them in position to put an end to their streak.

Just over two minutes after the Flyers scored into an open net after a mistake by the Flames, Calgary tied it up with the perfect bounce off the end boards, forcing overtime and then a shootout.

The Flames were able to snap their streak, scoring the only goal of the shootout in a 3-2 win over the Flyers on Saturday afternoon at Wells Fargo Center.

Both teams had power plays in the first period, but a majority of the period went by without much fanfare. The Flyers got a power play in the final minute of the period.

Through 20 minutes, shots were 8-8.

The Flyers did not score on the power play to start the second and for the first eight minutes of the period, the same style of play endured with both teams getting just two shots on goal. Then the Flyers started to take control, on their way to out-shooting the Flames, 18-3, in the second period.

At 13:26, one of the chances finally found the net. Travis Sanheim was wide open in the high slot and took a shot that leaked through David Rittich and into the crease. As it rolled to the goal line, Jake Voracek jumped on the loose puck and scored to make it 1-0 with the 200th goal of his career.

The Flyers kept the pressure on late in the period, getting another late power play and carried the lead into the third period.

Early in the third, the Flames finally snapped their long scoreless drought on the road. Off a turnover by Morgan Frost, the Flames gained control. Andrew Mangiapane put a shot toward the net that hit off Phil Myers and beat Carter Hart, tying the game at one and snapping a scoreless streak of more than 11 periods on the road for Calgary.

The Flames carried the play early in the third, but the Flyers started to push back, eventually evening out the shot total.

With 3:46 left in the third, they capitalized on a Calgary mistake. Rittich came out to play the puck behind the net and Joel Farabee raced in and won a puck battle, getting the puck in front to Kevin Hayes with a wide open net. Hayes scored to make it 2-1 Flyers.

In the final two minutes with the goalie pulled, Calgary got another bounce to tie the game. Rasmus Andersson fired a shot wide of the net and the puck bounced off the end boards right to Elias Lindholm, positioned at the bottom of the left circle with a wide open net. He fired quickly and scored to tie the game back up, 2-2, with 1:23 to play.

Following a scoreless overtime that featured several chances at both ends, the game went to a shootout. Matthew Tkachuk scored the only goal in the second round, while Farabee, Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier were all stopped.

Rittich finished the game with 36 saves in the win. Hart made 25 saves in the loss.

The Flyers return to the ice on Monday night when they take on the Vancouver Canucks. Game time is 7 p.m.

Box Score

Scoring Summary

1st Period

• No Scoring

2nd Period

• PHI Jake Voracek (5) (Travis Sanheim, Sean Couturier) 13:26

3rd Period

• CGY Andrew Mangiapane (5) (Mikael Backlund) 1:01
• PHI Kevin Hayes (6) (Joel Farabee) 16:14
• CGY Elias Lindholm (11) (Rasmus Andersson, Johnny Gaudreau) 18:37

Overtime

• No Scoring

Shootout

• PHI Joel Farabee – Save
• CGY Sean Monahan – Save
• PHI Claude Giroux – Save
• CGY Matthew Tkachuk – Goal
• PHI Sean Couturier – Save

Game Statistics