The Philadelphia Flyers were heading into today’s contest hoping to return to the win column. They had a pair of losses earlier this week against the Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes. In both of those losses, they strived to make a comeback in the final frame, something that would reward them today.
Early sloppiness haunts Flyers
The clash against Chicago was far from a clean performance. Both the Flyers and Blackhawks played sloppy hockey. The Flyers’ inability to follow through when they drove the puck to the net in the first frame was a major source of frustration for most. Despite the Blackhawks scoring within the first 20 minutes, bench boss John Tortorella believes the team had a good start. The Flyers’ outshooting the Blackhawks throughout the game was overshadowed by goalie Petr Mrazek‘s solid performance.
In the second frame, the slopiness continued. Between turnovers, an inability to finish chances, and missing an empty net was the reason many fans began to “boo.” The Flyers were given multiple power play opportunities, so they couldn’t even get a shot on goal.
However, Chicago almost had a short-handed goal, which Kolosov could stop. Even with the addition of Cam York back in the lineup, he wasn’t the most impactful player, as Nick Seeler and Rasmus Ristolainen both had solid games. Between Seeler’s blocked shots and Ristolainen’s play, they were the true standouts. Chicago’s Patrick Maroon scored his first goal as a Blackhawk, giving them a 2-0 lead. After 40 minutes, the Flyers were again heading into the final frame down.
Mounting the comeback
In the final frame, the Flyers did what they’ve been doing all season: having a big push in the final 20 minutes. The Flyers attacked the third period like a whole new team—a team with energy and momentum. In the final frame, Sean Couturier deflected a goal from a great feed by Ristolainen. This gave Philadelphia all the momentum as they made this a one-goal game. Noah Cates had a powerful wrist shot that could tie up the contest. The Flyers made it 2-2 but could not find the back of the puck again until overtime.
The Flyers were on the power play in extra minutes due to Alex Vlasic holding Travis Konency. The way the power play works in overtime is 4 v. 3. The Flyers put out their top line along with Sanheim. With a great setup on the play by Couturier as he won the faceoff, Sanheim was able to gain position of the puck before sending it to Konency, who then fed it to Michkov for a game-winning snap shot. The Flyers could exit today’s game with two points back in the win column.
Flyers quotes
Following the game, Michkov said he had to be “cold-blooded” when on the ice. With Michkov even laughing a bit at what he was saying, there’s no doubt he’s highly focused on the ice. Morgan Frost also returned to the lineup after being scratched for the past few games. Frost said, “I love playing here. I love the guys. I got to play better.” Frost also touched on how lucky he is to be playing in the National Hockey League.
The Flyers prepare to finish their homestand on Monday by taking on the Las Vegas Golden Knights. The puck drop is at 7.
Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
