Flyers Points Streak Ends in Loss to Senators

By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 

In the midst of a brutal November schedule, a game against Ottawa stood out like a sore thumb. The Flyers have been facing high-end competition, many teams believed to be contenders. Ottawa certainly doesn't fit the bill.

But the Senators entered the game with wins in three of their last four games. Despite a hot start for the Flyers, the Senators kept the margin at one, and with a pair of goals in the second period, they had the Flyers chasing the game.

The Flyers never found the equalizer in the third, falling to the Senators, 2-1, and watching their seven-game points streak come to an end on Friday night.

The Flyers had multiple chances in the first three minutes to score. They finally capitalized with the fourth line on the ice.

Tyler Pitlick fired a shot past Anders Nilsson for his first goal as a Flyer at 2:46.

For the rest of the period, both teams had chances to score, but the margin remained in favor of the Flyers. The Flyers led in shots after the first, 10-6.

For the first half of the second, the Flyers maintained the 1-0 lead, but Ottawa increasingly became the better team on the ice, winning more puck battles and winning races. Finally, on the power play, Ottawa found the equalizer.

Tyler Ennis got a chance from the slot and fired a shot that leaked through Carter Hart to tie the game with 6:48 left in the second.

In the final three minutes of the period, another lost battle led to a goal. Chris Tierney won a board battle and centered to Filip Chlapik, who beat Hart with a high shot to give Ottawa the lead with 2:51 left in the second.

Through two periods, the Flyers led in shots, 18-14.

The Flyers outshot the Senators, 9-5, in the third period, but quality chances were limited. Finally in the final five minutes of the game, the Flyers got their opportunity. A four-minute high-sticking penalty on Colin White gave the Flyers a power play for nearly the remainder of regulation. 

The Flyers could not take advantage, only getting a net-mouth scramble in the final 15 seconds of the game and time ran out.

Hart finished the game with 17 saves in the loss. Nilsson stopped 26 of 27 shots in the win.

The Flyers get right back on the ice on Saturday night at home to face the New York Islanders. Game time is 7 p.m.

Box Score

Scoring Summary

1st Period

• PHI Tyler Pitlick (1) (Andy Andreoff) 2:46

2nd Period

• OTT Tyler Ennis (4) PP (Erik Brannstrom) 13:12
• OTT Filip Chlapik (2) (Chris Tierney, Mark Borowiecki) 17:09

3rd Period

• No Scoring

Game Statistics