Flyers Postgame Report: Flyers Fall in Season Finale, Lock Up 4th-Best Odds

Down to the wire. Game of inches. All of the cliches applied as the Flyers season finale played out against the Buffalo Sabres.

A potential game-tying goal sat on the goal line but did not cross, needing a review to confirm. An insurance goal for Buffalo was called back after a goalie interference challenge. Despite an empty-net goal for Buffalo that appeared to ice the game, the Flyers crawled back to within a goal again to get a chance in the final seconds.

When all went final, the Flyers lost in regulation, 5-4, to the Sabres on Thursday night, locking them into the fourth-best odds in the draft lottery. They finished the 2024-25 season with 33-39-10 record.

The Sabres got off to a fast start, scoring the opening goal at 4:35 of the first. Alex Tuch went to the net and got the tip-in past Aleksei Kolosov to make it 1-0 with his 36th goal of the season.

With just over six minutes left in the period, the Flyers got a power play, but the Sabres were quick to capitalize on a chance. Peyton Krebs got a shorthanded breakaway and scored on a nice move to the backhand for his 10th goal of the season to make it 2-0 at 13:49.

The Flyers did get on the board on the power play. Matvei Michkov reached the 25-goal mark at 15:09 to cut the Buffalo lead to one.

The Sabres answered right back just 62 seconds later. Ryan McLeod set up Jack Quinn on a two-on-one for his 15th goal of the season to make it 3-1 Buffalo.

Through 20 minutes, shots were 14-5 Buffalo.

Buffalo added to the lead at 1:24 on another odd-man rush. JJ Peterka finished off the rush to make it 4-1 on his 27th goal of the season.

The Flyers got on the board again at 7:11 of the second. Michkov scored again for his 26th goal of the season to make it 4-2.

Through two periods, shots were 24-16 Buffalo.

Just 15 seconds into the third, Tyson Foerster scored on a tip-in to make it a one-goal game with his 25th goal of the season.

The Flyers nearly tied the game with 11:38 to play in the third, as Sean Couturier‘s shot was stopped right along the goal line by James Reimer. After a review, it was confirmed the puck did not cross the goal line.

With 3:26 remaining, the Sabres appeared to get an insurance goal with Peterka going to the net for his second of the game, but a goalie interference review took that goal off the board.

Ryan McLeod scored into an empty net with 47 seconds remaining. With 18.1 seconds remaining, Bobby Brink scored his 12th goal of the season to cut the lead back to one.

Kolosov made 26 saves on 30 shots in the loss. Reimer made 21 saves on 25 shots.

Michkov finished the season with a three-point game. Foerster, Brink, and Couturier each had two points. McLeod had a three-point game for Buffalo. Peterka, Quinn, and Tuch each had two points.