Solid effort not enough as Ottawa defeats Philadelphia

The Philadelphia Flyers and Ottawa Senators played a tight checking game. Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Jakub Voracek each scored in regulation. Both Andrew Hammond and Ray Emery were solid in net. In the end, one team had to win and Bobby Ryan scored the shootout winner as the Senators beat the Flyers 2-1 on Sunday.

It was slow moving first ten minutes. Ottawa had the better of the play out shooting Philadelphia 5-2 through those first ten minutes. 

Philadelphia would get the game's first power play as Mika Zebanejad was called for tripping Jake Voracek at 10:21. The Flyers would not generate much with the man advantage. The best chance belonged to Ottawa as they broke in two on one shorthanded but Ray Emery came up with nice save.

The remainder of the period was more of the same. Each team had a few chances but neither team was able to solve the Emery nor Andrew Hammond. Ottawa lead 8-7 in shots and the teams went to the locker room tied at zero.

Ottawa got an early power play in second as Philly was caught with too many men on the ice. Bobby Ryan had the best chance as he dangled around Nick Schultz but Emery a nice save. 

Ottawa finally solved Emery as Jean-Gabriel Pageau beat the Flyers netminder at 5:19. Pageau was able to put home a rebound in tight. It was his fourth of the season and gave the Senators a 1-0 lead.

The Flyers picked up the tempo after the goal and it lead to their second man advantage. They were unable to score but were much better than on their first power play. 

Just over a minute after the power play ended, Voracek evened the game at 1-1. Voracek fired a blast past Hammond from the top of the circle at 12:12. It was his 21st goal of the season.

Ottawa went back on the power play a minute after the Voracek goal as Michael Raffl got the gate for holding. The Flyers were able to kill it off and the score remained tied 1-1.

The game opened up some after the penalty kill as the teams went back and forth. Ottawa would get their third power play of the period as Andrew MacDonald was called for holding at 19.26. They were unable to score in the remaining 34 seconds and the teams went in tied 1-1.

The Senators began the third with 1:26 of power play time but were unable to get one in.

The teams then resumed the tight checking that dominated most of the first and a good portion of the second. The teams would get some open ice at at the 9:30 mark as Zac Rinaldo was called for holding while Patrick Wiercioch was called for interference.

At 4 on 4 the Senators had the better of the play. Ray Emery made big save on a two on one down low to keep it tied.

The Flyers got their third man advantage of the game at the 12 minute mark. Once again the power play looked better but the Flyers could not solve Hammond. 

The rest of third would go back and forth with both teams getting chances including Milan Michalek, who rang a shot off the post with just four seconds left in regulation and the teams went to overtime tied 1-1.

Ottawa had the better of the play in the extra session but could not beat Emery and the game went to a shootout.

In the shootout, Kyle Turris and Mika Zebanejad were both stopped by Emery. Voaracek and Simmonds were also stopped. Bobby Ryan was able to beat Emery in the third round and when Clause Giroux was stopped the game was over.

Emery made 27 saves in the loss but was very good in his first action in almost a month. The Flyers continue their road trip Tuesday night in Vancouver.

Bill Minchin is a contributing writer for Flyerdelphia. Follow Bill on Twitter @wtfd103074