WRAP: LATE-PERIOD GOALS SINK FLYERS IN BOSTON, 3-2
Boston Bruins goals at 19:34 of the first period and 19:38 of the third period sent the Philadelphia Flyers down to a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat at TD Garden on Thursday night. The Flyers, who are now winless in five games (0-4-1), played a strong first and second period.
On the second half of a brutally tough back-to-back set, Philly played well for two periods. They seemed to tire in the third period. The Flyers more or less looked like they were hanging on to get the match to overtime, but didn't quite get it there. Over the last three games, Philly has given up three goals in last minute of a period, and a total of six within roughly the final 90 seconds of a period.
Frequent Flyer killer Brad Marchand finished off the winning goal late in the third period for his 29th tally of the season. Boston also got goals from Riley Nash (13th) and a breakaway goal from veteran Brian Gionta (1st). David Pastrnak collected his 39th and 40th assists of the season, while ageless Zdeno Chara earned his 14th and 15. Kevan Miller (10th) and Tommy Wingels (7th) had an assist apiece.
Tuukka Rask, returning from a two-game absence due to a lower-body injury, earned the win in goal. He wasn't tested much in the third period but authored some good earlier saves to finish with 31 saves on 33 shots.
As with the Pittsburgh game on Wednesday, the power play let the Flyers down when they needed it to come through. The Flyers capitalized quickly on the front end of an early double-minor but went rapidly downhill from there in finishing at 1-for-5. However, the serially struggling penalty kill stepped up on this night, going 3-for-3 with the team's first road shorthanded goal in nearly a calendar year.
In a losing cause, Jakub Voracek (power play, 16th) and Jori Lehterठ(shorthanded, 3rd) scored for the Flyers. Nolan Patrick (12th assist of the season), Claude Giroux (57th assist), Valtteri Filppula (20th assist) and Radko Gudas (9th assist) earned assists.
Alex Lyon wasn't flawless in goal but settled in during the second period and came up with some big saves until the fateful late goal in a scramble around the net. He finished with 24 saves on 27 shots.
The Flyers top line had a rough game on Thursday night, spending more time defending than attacking as the game went along and then outworked on the eventual game-winner for Boston, Travis Konecny, however, finished with eight shots on goal. The Flyers best five-on-five line was once again the Nolan Patrick line, apart from a costly neutral zone turnover that led to the first Boston goal.
Jordan Weal was a healthy scratch for the second time in three games. Matt Read played for the first time since his recall last Monday.
1ST PERIOD SYNOPSIS
Oskar Lindblom was stripped of the puck moving over the middle and Boston broke out on an early 3-on-2 rush. Lindblom hustled on the backcheck and Jake DeBrusk shot wide of the net.
Simmonds was high sticked in the mouth behind the Boston net, bleeding heavily from his lip as he went off to the bench. Kevan Miller received a high-sticking double minor at 1:29. It took the Flyers just eight seconds to cash it in after Giroux won the first faceoff and then got the puck to the net. From in front, Patrick made a nifty no-look pass to Voracek in the right slot and he buried it for a 1-0 lead. The assists went to Patrick and Giroux.
The Flyers went right back to the attack immediately as the power play continued. Couturier missed the net on a one-timer from the left slot. The second unit came out and never got set up over the latter part of the advantage.
Still bidding for his first NHL goal, Oskar Lindblom was open in the left slot for pass from Voracek but his shot did not find the mark.
Boston got its first power play at 6:05 as Jori Lehterठwas called for slashing after a Boston offensive right circle faceoff win. The Flyers blocked several shots before Lyon absorbed a left circle shot by David Pastrnak for a stoppage 56 seconds into the kill. Matt Read intercepted a pass and cleared down the ice with about 20 seconds left. The Flyers killed off the rest.
Lindblom made a good defensive play to take a puck away from Pastrnak but Patrick turned it over in the neutral zone. The Flyers never recovered as Marchard attacked. A near-miss for Pastrnak was blocked by Robert Hà¤gg. Finally, the puck went on a follow-up to the tie game at 1-1 at the 9:14 mark. Riley Nash was credited with the goal, assisted by Pastrnak and Miller.
The Patrick line had a strong forechecking/ cycling shift but no scoring chances came from it. With six minutes left, Simmonds had all sort of time and space to measure a left slot shot but found the iron on the upper short side. At the other end, Lyon fought off a snap shot from Marchand from the lower right circle, whirled around as the puck came out in front and covered for a stoppage and TV timeout with 5:41 left. Shots were 10-8 in the Flyers' favor.
Another puck was brought out front, this time by Tommy Wingels, with 4:46 left. Lyon quickly covered for the stoppage. Twenty seconds later, he smothered a Nash shot from a sharp angle at the bottom of the right circle.
At 16:45, Marchand was down on the ice in the neutral zone and got up just enough to submarine Gostisbehere for a tripping penalty. Gostisbehere fired through a screen in front but missed the net. A scorching one-time by Giroux from the left circle was stopped cleanly by Rask. With the second unit out, Konecny caused havoc in front of the net on a partially deflected Ivan Provorov shot. Shoving ensued after the whistle.
After the penalty expired, Giroux created a chance for Voracek in front. Going the other way, Provorov hammered Marchand with a check near the Philadelphia blueline.
Pastrnak made a great individual effort on a rush but did not quite finish it off on an dangerous backhander. However, with 25.3 seconds left, the Bruins scored on a breakaway. Simmonds was blatantly tripped up by Wingels in the offensive zone and Boston countered. Gionta took a pass from Chara, went in alone ahead of Radko Gudas and scored to give Boston a 2-1 lead. Chara and Wingels got the assists.
First period shots were 16-10 in the Flyers' favor.
2ND PERIOD SYNOPSIS
Simmonds was not on the Flyers' bench to start the period but soon returned.
The Flyers went to their fourth power play as Torey Krug grabbed an attacking Voracek at the 30-second mark. Marchand was denied on an early shorthanded attack. The Flyers generated little of consequence.
Patrick forechecked a puck free along the left side boards. Rask made an easy save on an unscreened point shot by Provorov. The Flyers won the draw, and Provorov pinched up to get the puck to the net. Lindblom jammed at the puck but it went back across the goal mouth. Rask then made a good save on Provorov.
Bostont went to its second power play at 6:28. Lindblom was called for slashing Nash in front of the Flyers net, although Patrick appeared to be the guilty party. The Flyers struck for just their third shorthanded goal of the season, and first on the road. A 2-on-1 developed for Filppula and Lehterठand Lehterठfinished it off by jamming the puck through the five-hole to tie the game at 7:21.
Near the midpoint of the period, Lyon robbed Gionta from the middle slot. On Flyers' icing with 6:56 left, Konecny was sent careering into the side boards at center ice by Brandon Carlo. Konecny was OK. Twenty-one seconds later, Philly was called for another icing.
Read had a good chance in front with about four minutes left. He was tied up and the opportunity fizzled out.
With time winding low, Marchand appeared to catch MacDonald in the head with his knee during a battle behind the Flyers net. He was dazed but got up. The Flyers did not retaliate. Time ran out, amid chirping on both side.
Second period shots were 10-7 Flyers (26-17 Flyers overall).
3RD PERIOD SYNOPSIS
Lindblom and Patrick worked a give-and-go on the period's opening shift. Patrick's attempted return drop pass, however, went awry.
Konecny was taken off the puck by Miller trying to work one-on-one in the Boston zone off a stretch pass. Konecny then took an awful stick penalty -- officially called hooking, but could have also been classified as a high stick -- at 1:30.The Flyers caught a break as an open Marchard whiffed on an open one-timer. Couturier then broke up a dangerous looking pass intended for Krug. With 49 seconds left, Lyon absorbed an unscreened shot by Chara. The Flyers won the next faceoff and got a clear. Gionta slipped behind Gudas to take a pass-out for a good chance in front. The Flyers survived.
Lindblom got in the forecheck but was taken out heavily but cleanly on an Adam McQuaid hit behind the net. The Bruins got a clean breakout.
Pastrnak went to the net on a well-conceived rush and narrowly missed a re-direct attempt. With 11:43 left, after very heavy pressure that kept the Couturier line (with Lindblom out with Konecny and Couturier) hemmed in deep, Lyon caught and froze a Chara shot. Giroux started the next shift with Simmonds and Filppula.
Lyon very dangerously played a puck across the crease after stopping a dump in behind the net under pressure. Gostisbehere got the puck out of danger temporarily.The Bruins then attacked in a wave, but no harm resulted. Chara attempted a short side backhander. Finally, Philly got a clear.
Raffl banged away at a loose puck in front but couldn't get it past Rask. The Boston goalie held for a stoppage with 8:32 remaining.
Couturier broke through the defense off passes from Giroux to Konecny to the big center. He was hooked by Marchand for a power play at 13:21. With the first unit tired, the second unit started the power play after Dave Hakstol opted not to use his timeout. The second unit again got little done before a line change. A Voracek shot from up high got blocked. Giroux cross-ice pass attempt late in the power play failed, too.
Manning fell down, leading to a dangerous rush for Boston. Thankfully for Philly, Couturier was back for support and nudged the puck away from Nash cutting over the middle.
With 2:51 left, Lyon had to cover a Nash shoot-in from the red line with Boston players charging in at the net. Boston got an offensive zone draw. David Krejci won the draw but nothing dangerous ensued. At the other end, Rask stopped a dribbler on net for a Flyers' offensive zone draw for the Patrick line. Patrick won the draw cleanly and the Flyers pressured. With 1:54 left, Provorov ripped a point shot through traffic and it went off Rask's shoulder out of play.
The Filppula line got hemmed in on the next shift but kept play to the perimeter. The Flyers were called for a very questionable icing on a puck that Chara actively attempted to play.
With just 22 seconds left, disaster struck for the Flyers. On a loose puck after a point shot by Chara, Pastrnak poked it near the goal line and Marchand poked it over as they outworked the Flyers' defenders. The play was reviewed for an offside, which ended quickly as it was clear that Pastrnak had control of the puck as he dragged over the blue line.
The Flyers pulled Lyon for an extra attacker. The Bruins narrowly missed a long-range empty net try. Time ran out when the puck got back behind the Boston net.
Third period shots were 10-7 Boston (33-27 Bruins overall).
STANDINGS IMPACT
This was a night where the Flyers needed two points and played well enough to earn at least one, but came away empty handed. The fourth-place New Jersey Devils lost in regulation and remain three points (plus a tiebreaker disadvantage) behind the Flyers. The fifth place Columbus Blue Jackets, in lower wildcard position, won and drew within four points (plus a tiebreaker disadvantage) behind Philly. The red-hot Florida Panthers also won, too.
The second place Washington Capitals had a west coast game, losing in regulation to the Los Angeles Kings. The Metro leading Pittsburgh Penguins were idle.