Inside Access: Philadelphia Flyers vs. New York Islanders

Philadelphia Flyers vs. New York Islanders

Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia

March 23, 2019

Game Time – 1 p.m.

Pregame

The Philadelphia Flyers (36-30-8, 80 points) entered the game in sixth place in the Eastern Conference's Metropolitan Division, likely needing to win all of the team's remaining eight games, while also seeing a number of other teams play below .500 prior to the end of the season in order to make the postseason. The New York Islanders (42-25-7, 91 points) were in second place in the Metro, nearly certain to clinch a playoff spot in the very near future.

The Flyers, who were in the midst of a solid two-month run, beat the Islanders in consecutive road games earlier this month, March 3 (4-1) and March 9 (5-2). Today's game is the final game of the season series, with New York winning the first contest (6-1) in Philadelphia on October 27, 2018, during the Ron Hextall and Dave Hakstol era.

Starting goalies: Flyers – Carter Hart. Islanders – Robin Lehner.

Other pregame tidbits – A Jake Voracek-Johnny Boychuk Wrestlemania redux could be in order, assuming both men are in the lineup and are open to a rematch (which proved true).

Flyers entered the game as the only National Hockey League team with identical home and road records (18-5-4).

On a personal note...

The transformation of the interior of the Wells Fargo Center is currently creating logjams at the elevators that transport stadium personnel and media medias from the lower level to the balcony. No matter, a variety of hard-working individuals, many of whom are longtime WFC employees are always a pleasure to speak to. They comprise the unseen roster that make this venue flow smoothy, which has always been true since I first was fortunate to gain a media credential in 2011-12.

First Period

Flyers killed off partial two-man disadvantaged with help from the Islanders, who were tagged with a too many men on the ice bench minor. Robert Hagg, who received the double-minor, causing the two-man disadvantage, then scored a fluky goal, his fifth of the season. The goal at 6:39, assists to Radko Gudas and Ryan Hartman.

The Islanders scored at 14:27 when Brock Nelson (his twenty-third of the season) whacked a puck that was floating in the air above Hart's shoulder into the net. Assists to Scott Mayfield and Devon Toews.

Shots – Islanders 14. Flyers – 10.

Second Period

Nick Leddy's (his fourth of the season) slap shot from a bit above the center of the faceoff circles gave the Islanders a 2-1 lead at 10:58. Assists to Mathew Barzal and Boychuk.

A rather listless effort by Philadelphia furthered the reality that Scott Gordon's team has been playing playoff-esque games for more than two months.

Shots – Islanders 29. Flyers – 15.

Third Period

Ryan Hartman's interference call, combined with Jake Voracek's unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, due to arguing his teammates infraction, gave the Islanders a two-man advantage at 2:16 into the frame. The impressive kill gave the Flyers a chance to tie the game.

An interference call against New York at 6:12 put the Flyers on the advantage for the first time in the game.

Shayne Gostisbehere (his eighth of the season) buried a slap shot from the high slot four seconds into the PP (6:16), with assists to Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier.

At 9:08 Scott Laughton was tripped by Adam Pelech, setting up another PP. No goal was scored.

Josh Bailey whipped a wrister (his fifteenth of the season) over Hart's left shoulder at 16:03, giving New York a late 3-2 lead. Nelson and Andrew Ladd.

Bailey added a rebound goal (16^th) at 17:26. Assists to Leo Komarov and Pelech. That tally sealed the game.

Excessive amount of shots allowed by the Flyers remains an issue and one that needs to be corrected if next season is to flow more smoothly and, or lead to a playoff position.

Final shot total: Islanders - 40. Flyers - 24.

Final score: Islanders 4 – Flyers – 2.

While the loss still didn't mathematically eliminate Philadelphia from the playoffs, the near-certain end of those hopes should arrive very soon.

Next up - The Flyers travel to Washington to play the Metro division-leading Capitals 43-24-8, 94 points) tomorrow. The game will be nationally televised by NBC, starting at 12:35 p.m. EST.

Postgame Quotes

I spoke with Hart after the game, post the media scrum. We discussed the efforts he's made through the years with his mental skills coach, John Stevenson.

As anyone who would speak with the 20-year-old has seen, he's a young man who's head is on straight. It is this aspect, similar to other impactful players, or achievers in any field, that provides potential and momentum for progress and sustained success.

Responses to media scrum questions, postgame in the locker room and at the press conferences of Gordon and Islanders head coach Barry Trotz:

Philadelphia Flyers G Carter Hart

Carter how do you describe the second period where you were kind of under attack for most of that twenty minutes?

I don’t know, shots were just kind of coming from everywhere, so I was just trying to do my job and compete, and battle, and just trying to stop the puck.

You think a loss of energy is inevitable when the teams been trying to chase in the playoff standings for so many weeks now?

I think when you’re competitive enough and energy isn’t a factor, I think that we just need to dig down and we all have more, we all have better, and including myself. I think we just all need to dig down deeper.

Is it good to at least have another one tomorrow where you can’t dwell on this and you have to get right back at it?

Yeah for sure, to have a back-to-back here, so we just put it behind us and come out tomorrow and come out hard. Right from the get-go set a tone early in the game.

What was the 5-on-3 like sometimes that’s a minute and a half a little bit less, you had two full minutes of it.  

We did a really good job on that 5-on-3.  They didn’t really get anything generated. [To have a] full two minutes on the 5-on-3 and for them not to get really any good looks, that’s kudos to our PK there on the three man kill.

Philadelphia Flyers D Robert Hagg

You guys have been in a playoff race for so long and you have a loss at a critical time like this, is there much of a reaction or do you just kind of forget about it and go to the next game?

It sucks, that’s the feeling right now, they played better than we did the whole game. We didn’t deserve to win today, so, right now yes, I have a terrible feeling.

How much did you plead your case when you got called for the high-sticking?

It’s the second time this year, so I was kind of pissed off but there’s not much you can do. You just have to go to the box, sit there for four minutes and try to get the best out of it.

Between a call like that, and [Ryan] Hartman’s call, they probably at some point get to look at a replay, do they ever admit fault to you guys or is it just like an understood thing for the rest of the game?

He was pretty good about it, he came up before the second period and kind of apologized, so you’re getting frustrated, but when a referee comes up and admits it, you can let it go. When they don’t, I’m not going to say anything.

When you have a big call go against you, does the frustration bleed over into the on-ice play?

Maybe a little bit but you can’t focus on it, we have to play out there a game out there to play. Of course, we’re frustrated but at the same time you have to put energy on what we can do out there.

New York Islanders RW Josh Bailey

Much needed 2 points for you guys and a much needed effort tonight.

Yeah I mean pretty complete game for us I think we get some adversity there in the third obviously. When you have a 5 on 3 you want to capitalize, unfortunately we didn’t. They seemed to rally a little bit, scored a power play goal and then we just got back to work after that, our kill came up with another big kill, to seal the deal I think all in all it was a good win for us when we needed it.

Do you feel like Brock’s goal kind of got the ball rolling for you guys, an exhale to kind of get back to your game, just knowing that went in for you guys.

Of course, I think sometimes just results reap confidence, sometimes you feel like you’re doing the right things and the other team gets a bounce and things can kind of snowball for you. Tonight we got one back there with Brock and then we really found our game after that. Like I said in the third a little bit of adversity, but you’re gonna get that this time of year.

Were you looking for a spot on your first goal or were you just kinda getting it on net and hoping for the best?

I was just trying to go shoot it hard and high short side. The angle wasn’t great and sometimes you just need a little bit of luck to get those in the back of the net.

Brock’s goal that took the weight off everyone’s back, it’s been three games since he got one that kind of broke the ice for you guys a little bit.

Yeah I think so. Like I touched on before, it’s not like we didn’t deserve to score goals the last couple games, I think there were certain areas that needed to be better, but sometimes it’s just a break here and there that can make a difference and kind of open things up for you. In that instance we were going to the net hard and a shot and he banged one in and sometimes that’s all it takes.

Flyers C Sean Couturier

[Inaudible]

Yeah, I thought we were playing good. It was tight out there. Then all of a sudden, we kind of turned some pucks over. We tried doing an extra play or something. They’re a pretty good team, that’s what they kind of stride on. They came hard at us.

How surprised were you guys by some of the calls? 

I don’t know. It is frustrating, it’s tough. At the same time, PK did a good job, gained momentum off those kills. Yeah, it’d be nice to get a few calls on our side.

What’s the mindset there?

Yeah, but at the same time there’s always overtime. I mean, you don’t want to force things. I thought down one goal, we made a good push, tied the game. Then let an unfortunate goal. But, we pushed hard after that and sometime you have to press and it costs you. It is what it is.

Even in some of these games when you’ve been winning, you guys have been spending a lot of time in the defensive zone, not as much time in the attack. What’s been going on, why is that a problem?

I don’t know, maybe just trying a little too much on the perimeter. Not bringing pucks to the net. At the same time, when you’re killing penalties it’s tough to get some shots, to get some offense going. That’s always tough. I think if maybe we learn more discipline, get a few calls on our side, or none of those penalties. The Haager one, the four-minute where it’s not even his stick. Maybe it’s a tighter game earlier and we gain momentum. But, it is what it is and we have to move on.

Flyers RW Ryan Hartman

Was there any explanation to you on why they called that call the way they did?

The only thing he said during the penalty is, I’m not going to let you run the goalie. It is what it is.

You have a game like this, there’s a little too much time spent trying to get out of your own zone.

Yeah, we didn’t really sustain too much pressure. There isn’t a lot of one and dones. There’s some points where we kept to the outside, where they’re kind of in the perimeter. There’s a few times where we let them inside and it cost us a little bit. We need to look at that and do a better job tomorrow.

Philadelphia Flyers D Shayne Gostisbehere

What were they able to do the last two periods that you weren’t that really changed the way game went?

They were cycling pretty good. They were grinding us down. We were chasing a lot. It felt like they had two point shots. We were just battling. It just kept rimming around and going to their open guys. I think they grinded us down a bit and broke us down defensively.

Was it different than what you’d seen in the previously two games up in New York? Were they playing any differently?

Yeah, they were playing with purpose this time it felt like. Obviously when you get beat bad in your own building twice like that, they are going to come out flying. They did tonight. 

Ghost, when you spend that much time in your own zone, a lot of it was kept to the outside but eventually something will work its way inside the back of the net?

Yeah, for sure. They were pretty relentless. We spent most our time in the D-zone. You’re going to get tired. You’re going to break down. Hartsy can only make so many saves. We kind of let him down on that aspect.

When you have losses this time of the year, how do you keep them from being debilitating after a game?

Just got to keep going. Take it game by game. We have another game tomorrow at 12:30. It’s just the next game. ​

New York Islanders Head Coach Barry Trotz

Barry, that was a kind of strange start to the game with all the different looks and then the flukey goal. Did you really like the response from your guys?

Yeah. I think it was one of those games where there was a little bit of some strange things happening, you have a little adversity. I won’t say you’re doubting yourself a little bit, you lost two games and the first one’s the way it went in, you’re going, “what else is going to happen?” But our response was resilient, we stayed with it. Obviously, we got a response goal later in the period and then we had some momentum swings. I thought the second period we played outstanding. We were on top of them, we were checking, we were managing the puck really well. We got a couple power plays and weren’t able to score on a five-on-three and they got all the momentum there. I like their response, the next couple shifts we sort of have to battle through that. They score on a power play and then you take another penalty and you got to kill that off. That was a huge kill. Once we killed that off, I felt pretty certain we were going to get points, I didn’t know if we were going to get one or two. But the real big couple shifts by Bails [Josh Bailer] and that was huge. Great response at the end, six-on-five for them. We did a real good job.

Not to dwell on the negative, but the five-on-three, is it our guys just, kind of the same when you don’t score on five-on-five, does it just get in your head a little bit?

Yeah, it’s just like anything it gets in the back of your head. You try to get too fine. You know, at home, it’s not different when someone’s booing you, you’re going, “okay yeah, I got to make a great play.” You don’t. You just play. Guys are double clutching it and trying to be too fine. The windows of opportunity are very short on the power play and if you’re double clutching it, that window closes and then, all of a sudden you got nothing and now you’re trying to force things. It’s frustrating. We just got to get a little more confident on it and get a day to practice it again and re-tool it a little bit and see if we can get some success with it. You know, we just got to stay with it. We had some opportunities.

You were pretty harsh on some of your guys from the other night, but you didn’t make any changes upfront. Did you feel like you owed it to this group to see what they can do?

Yeah, I thought about it. It was actually quite difficult. We talked about it as a coaching staff, there’s some guys I wasn’t really happy with and there’s some guys that are tremendously working hard. They’re waiting to get in the lineup. I felt it was important to go back with the group that you sort of challenge a little bit. I only made one change and that was Johnny [Boychuk]. I liked the response. I liked the response about stepping up to the plate here and getting it done. That says a lot about the group. It says a lot about our character and hopefully it’ll give us some confidence. Obviously, we’re going to play a desperate team tomorrow in Arizona, see if we can have a little more mojo and go after them the same way as we did tonight and go from there.

Johnny said that his focus tonight was on the two points rather than any sort of- were you talking?

Yeah absolutely. There was no talking about the [Jakub] Voracek thing. As I said, those two will figure it out down the road, but Johnny is one of those ultimate team guys. He knows how important what we’re trying to do is, he knows how important this game was. There was no ‘me’ in his thought process, it was all about ‘we’. That’s why he’s one of those guys, you talk about glue guys in a room, he’s one of those guys. That’s what he does. I’ve been keeping him out a little bit here because of our depth, but also trying to get us ready for the next level so everybody’s ready, because you never know when guys go down. You talk about the right response, that was the right response.

Is this the kind of game that kind of underlines how important special teams are, especially this time of year before the momentum of the game?

Yeah, special teams all year are important. To me, special teams are about timeliness, not necessarily your percentages. You kill that penalty when it was needed, he did. You know, when you’ve got a chance to go ahead, did we score on the power play? It could make a difference. And we weren’t able to do that. On one half, we got kind of the right time, but tomorrow we got a new opportunity. Arizona, we might need a big power play goal and they come through. Tonight, it was just the PK’s turn. ​

Philadelphia Flyers RW Claude Giroux

As frustrating as this game is, is there also a sense that you’re running out of time?

Yeah, I mean it’s a game that we have to win, we know that. You know when we tied it up there, I thought we were in control and it wasn’t the case.

How exhausting is it when you guys have to constantly have 3^rd periods like the first half of that one? A lot of times this season you guys have kind of struggled in 2^nd periods and had to make a big push, whether it’s in the 3^rd period or coming back late in the season to try to get in playoff conversation, it seems like it’s got to be pretty taxing.

Yeah, we put ourselves in a bad situation and I mean usually we always respond, always come out hard and find a way and couldn’t find a way tonight.

When stuff happens like the high sticking call on Haag that wasn’t Haag or the penalty called on Ryan Hartman, how do you feel that affected the play on the ice of the team?

You know, refs are trying their best and when there’s 4 minutes and it wasn’t your stick, its definitely frustrating, this time of the year, position we are in, we’re not the only team that it happens to, but it’s definitely very, very frustrating. Try to keep our composure, yeah, it’s, just frustrating.

Philadelphia Flyers RW Jake Voracek

How exhausting does it get, quite a few times second periods have kind of done you in and you have to come out strong in the 3^rd just to give yourself a chance. How tiring is it?

I would say for about 40 games, the second periods were our best in the game. Especially today, we were god awful, oh my god in the second. I don’t think we had a shot in the first ten minutes. They just, when they get zone time, they do a great job cycling us and keep the puck away from their net. I don’t think we were moving well enough in the second period to give ourselves a chance to create something.

Were they doing something different in that second and third period than they did the last games up in the island?

We just didn’t move. If you don’t move, you’re chasing always. Even when you have the puck, you don’t have the space to make the play, time to make the play, so you got to get rid of it and then you’re chasing again. So, that’s what happened.

How surprised were you Boychuk plays, they start him and the 4^th line, and you weren’t out there to face him on the first shift, but there were times out there, I don’t know if there were any words exchanged. I mean they tried to run you 3 times in the island, so maybe that was the end of it, did you guys expect more?

I expected something was going to happen. It didn’t. I’m not going to say I was unhappy about that. But like I said, he played a great game. It was in the third that we tied it. We got a little bit of momentum off that penalty kill, plus that power play after. Like I said, we just blew it.

When you have a whole bunch of calls that don’t go your way, it can be hard sometimes to refocus and get back, looked like you guys had killed those penalties, and it actually, particularly after the 2 minute 5 on 3, got some momentum.

Yeah, you know when you have to kill 2 5 on 3’s in a game- the first one with a high stick of their own player, the second with the interference on Hartsy that I don’t think anyone saw. Obviously, it’s frustrating. On the other hand, I got to keep my cool a little bit, but I think at that moment in this type of season, 2-1 game, already a PK, I think you got to have a little bit better feel for that situation no matter what is being said. Like I said, it surprised me to be honest.

Islanders G Robin Lehner

*Something about 2 points*

Oh it was nice, I thought it was a big team win today. I think we played really well. Just as it’s been in this last little stretch, they get ridiculously lucky goals to start the game. You know what, after two periods it should have probably been five, six, one. We had two poles, two knobs, just not bouncing in for us. It was huge by Bails there in the end to score that goal. It was a good game.

Can you see a change in the team in front of you playing a little looser after getting that first one?

No I think we just got to get back to playing, getting. A little bit of stretch like this everyone kind of tightened up a little bit, tried to do a little bit too much and kind of lose the fun out of the game a little bit. I think today we just had the mindset go play our game, have fun again, enjoy the game, not to grip the sticks too hard or anything. I think we came out and played good hockey. Again, they got a lucky bounce to get the first goal. It didn’t affect us like it has most of the season. Then we just kept going at them. Even after their big kill against us, I think they had a couple of shifts, but we calmed it down and we played good again.

This team hasn’t lost three in a row since *inaudible* what does that say about you guys that after you get to two games you guys stop?

Yeah, it’s big. Especially at this time of year. I mean, we have gotten away from our game a little bit. This is a big win for us, just to get back and enjoy the game again and get back as a group.

New York Islanders D Johnny Boychuk

Johnny, just describe the emotion, the excitement after a win like that, how desperately your team needed it?

Both teams were desperate I mean in the third period when they killed off that 5 on 3, they got a huge lift from their crowd and I mean, they were really loud and we held them off, it was 2-2 and Bails got that really nice goal and sealed it off with another one, so it was just a good team effort and we just gotta continue to do that tomorrow and going forward.

It seemed what they did off of the 5 on 3 kill, is it also motivation when your team has a penalty kill, knowing that this really can be a momentum swing, we can take control?

When we get a 5 on 3 we have to bury it obviously, and they had some momentum and good thing Bails got that nice goal, but we gotta learn from that and next time we get one we need to capitalize on it.

How important was it for you guys to get the scoring going early in this game, knowing with how the last couple games have been like for the team and when Brock scored the feeling on the bench knowing that alright, we got one?

You know especially after their first goal, it was a lucky bounce for them and we just stuck with it and got the next one and just gotta continue to move forward and just do the things that make us a good hockey team. They’re a desperate hockey team and the home crowd was involved and they were loud tonight and you just gotta learn from it because coming into playoffs it’s gonna be the same way and every place is going to be loud and you just gotta stay calm and capitalize on chances.

Given the circumstances and what happened the last time you were in the lineup the last time you played the Flyers, what was that balance like today, staying focused, picking up the two points and not letting the emotion of things getting in the way?

You have to. It’s a tough sport and you don’t want to go out of your way, but you gotta do what’s right for the team, tonight was for the two points and that’s all that matters and we just gotta play hard and smart.

  

Philadelphia Flyers Head Coach Scott Gordon 

What message do you tell these guys any loss at this time of year from seeming like a funeral?

“The bottom line is we have to play. Coming off a loss tonight, going into Washington isn’t a perfect situation, but that’s the card we’re dealt with and we have got to play.” 

What happened in that second period, it seemed like you guys barely had the puck?

“I think we were just slow to close on people. They did a lot of perimeter play, just moving the puck from corner to behind the net, to up top. We were slow to go up to the points and recover to the middle. Twice they get shots, one they score the goal on that our weak side our winger wasn’t even close to having any coverage and just easy looks for them. It’s one thing to be stuck in your zone, it’s another thing to be stuck in your zone and two instances we weren’t on the same page.” 

How much do you sense an exhaustion level from this team? It’s certainly not an effort thing because there always seems to be a push in the third period, with all of the games and every loss that happens at this time of year it seems like there is another wind taking out of them? 

“We’ve been going here since the middle of January playing at a pretty high level and obviously we’re working up a lot of shots lately. I think there’s an element of fatigue that is there. With that being said, you can’t complicate yourself. The first period I thought we were playing particularly well. Particularly coming out of the penalty kill, I don’t know the first maybe eight minutes of that period we start to turn the puck over to the wrong situations. So I don’t think we built any momentum after we scored the goal. You’re playing into the other team’s hands when you are going to turn those pucks over, especially when there are other options.” 

Is it a mental fatigue also you think?

“I’m sure it’s weighing on the players, knowing how time is winding down here, seven games left. Obviously, we aren’t in a position, never mind a losing streak, but to lose more than a game. That’s where we’re at right now.” 

Jake said he expected there to be some kind of extracurricular activity after Boychuk comes back. When you see that they start him and that fourth line, does that mean anything to you?

“No, Leddy and Boychuk pretty much start every period of every game. They’ve started every game that we’ve played against them.” 

When Carter is bombarded with 80 plus shots over the last two games, another quick turnaround tomorrow, does that play at all into your decision?

“I haven’t thought about it yet. I’m sure it will.” 

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Inside Access: Philadelphia Flyers vs. Calgary Flames

Pregame

Philadelphia Flyers vs. Calgary Flames

Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia

January 5, 2019

Game Time – 1 p.m.

The Philadelphia Flyers (15-20-5, 35 points) entered the game in last place in the Eastern Conference's Metropolitan Division. The team was also tied for last place in the National Hockey League with the Ottawa Senators and the Los Angeles Kings. The Calgary Flames (25-13-4, 54 points) were in first place in the Western Conference's Pacific Division. The team was also tied for second place in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Las Vegas Golden Knights.

The Flames beat the Flyers 6-5 in Calgary on December 12, 2018. Today is the second and final game of the season series.

Today's forty-first game of the season represents a disappointing halfway point, but more importantly the unmasking of the organization. Chuck Fletcher is now the General Manager, with Ron Hextall being relieved of his duties in November. Then, head coach Dave Hakstol was dropped weeks later, which caused the elevation of Lehigh Valley Phantoms head coach Scott Gordon to the interim head coach slot.

The lack of enough effective players turned this campaign into something like the 2006-07 season. However that era quickly brought a bounce-back to next season's deep playoff run and the 2010 Stanley Cup appearance.

On a personal note...The pregame meal on the Event Level dining room always provides the opportunity to talk with a wide variety of people who are connected to the game in one fashion, or another. Today, I had the opportunity to share brunch with a Korean War Veteran, who, like my own dad (in Vietnam), served his country. These men represent the reason why the casual freedom of a hockey game can be taken in on this rainy, early-January day in 2019.

Thank you isn't a two-word cliché. It represents our culture's maturity, in that people rightly see what so many great military people sacrificed to make America unique in modern world history. That point isn't rationally debated.

On a much lighter note - President Paul Holmgren was seen in the halls on the press level. Gritty was later spotted, meaning that his services have been retained during this season of change.

First Period

Carter Hart started in goal for Philadelphia. David Rittich was in net for Calgary.

Only six total shots on goal, through the first five minutes and fifty seconds of the afternoon tilt. Yes, it wasn't overly compelling.

A “Let's Go Flyers” chant was heard with around nine minutes remaining in the period. It's lack of velocity reflected a deflated fan base that knows this, in all likelihood won't be another Cup-winning year.

While Fletcher's track record is sound. He'll need to make a series of wise trades leading to the Trade Deadline in February and then follow that with impactful free agent signings this summer. In contrast, these analytical thoughts are not ones that are rampant among Flames' writers.

And then...the rather full crowd's cheer pulled this scribe's eyes from the keyboard, as Travis Sandheim potted a puck past Rittich at 12:10. Ivan Provorov and Jordan Weal got the assists. It was Sandheim's fourth goal of the season and it came on the power play.

Post-Christmas and New Year's, the Wells Fargo Center's stands were filled with plenty of people. Talk of empty seats earlier in the year weren't applicable today.

Travis Konecny's frenetic energy is fully evident when the full ice can be seen. He should remain a keeper for this team. He, along with Hart, Claude Giroux, Provorov, and Sean Couturier comprise what is (or should be) the team's core five.

Shots – Flyers 13, Flames 11.

Second Period

Johnny Gaudreau tied the game at at 8:51 with an even strength goal, his thirteenth of the season. Assists to Sean Monahan and Noah Hanifin.

Credit to the Flyers for hanging with one of the better teams in the League. They can secure at least a point, or more with a full-period effort in the third.

Shots – Flyers 25, Flames 21.

Third Period

Konecny, referenced earlier, glided into the offensive zone, took advantage of a Flame's misplay, and buried the puck into the net. Rittich was ten feet away the crease, in the left side faceoff circle, and was attempting to corral the puck. It was the Flyers top right winger's (in this game) tenth tally of the season, coming at 5:57, and was unassisted.

Matthew Tkachuk (his nineteenth of the season) wristed a shot past Hart at 15:43. Assists to Sam Bennett and Hanifin.

Flyers have rarely set up in the offensive zone during the entire game, or haven't been there for many rebound shots. So, they were fortunate to have led so late in the game.

Into OT both teams go.

Overtime Period

At 1:59 into the free hockey frame, the Flyers' flaws exposed, as Flames scored to win game. T.J. Brodie scored his fifth of the season, with the assist going to Tkachuk.

The breakdown in this extra period revealed what happens when Philadelphia has less bodies on the ice and can't compensate for errors, such as the one Jordan Weal made when he turned over the puck in the offensive zone and the Flames took it the other way to end the game.

Final shot total: Flyers 34, Flames 32.

Final score: Flames 3, Flyers 2.

Next up the Flyers host the St. Louis Blues, who started today only one point ahead of Philadelphia in overall points (36-35). That game will be played Monday.

Postgame Quotes

Responses to media questions after the game:

Philadelphia Flyers D Ivan Provorov

Does a loss like this kind of define what’s happened the first half of the year, you guys played 50 minutes of good hockey and then something seems to just not go right?

Yeah, honestly I’m not sure what happened, we were playing well, I think we sat back a little too much after the five minute mark and gave up a goal.

Was that pretty frustrating on the guys in here?

Yeah, we keep having the lead and then all of the sudden we just give up goals and end up losing in overtime or at the end of games. It’s frustrating, but we have to learn from it and move on.

Carter Hart, what have you seen from him so far, this in anyway wasn’t his fault?

He’s a great player, great goalie, battles hard, and he’ll only get better for now.

You guys have had so much of the same story, this being the halfway point of the season is this one game where you can turn the page and say forget the first 41 and focus on the rest?

I don’t think we’re waiting for the 41^st game for the mark to just turn the page, we’re trying to turn the page, sometimes it takes longer than you want, but we’re sticking with it and we’re going to continue to work. 

Philadelphia Flyers C Travis Konecny

You guys played a lot with the lead, did it just feel like there was a lot less pressure when you were in that scenario?

“Obviously we want to play with the lead, it’s a lot easier that way. It’s hard chasing games and it’s tough on us as well. We played a pretty solid game tonight.”

[Inaudible question]

“I think we know what it is, I don’t really know right now. It’s tough because like I said, we’re playing good hockey. It just seems like teams are just scoring on those one opportunities that they’re getting. It usually doesn’t go that way, but that’s just the way it’s going for us right now. It’s happened two times to us. We keep going back, we’re playing really solid games, I think tonight was one of our better ones.”

Flyers D Travis Sanheim

For as much you played in that game with the lead was it hard, these days, to even feel good about that?

Yeah, it’s obviously pretty frustrating. Felt like we had control most of the game. A couple breakdowns and that cost us the game.

The way that we talk about offensive opportunities, where it’s if you’re getting them and one bounce here or there it doesn’t go your way, do you feel like the opposite on the defensive side now? Where you make one mistake and it ends up in the back of your net?

Yeah, kind of feels that way lately. Because they’re not giving up a ton and yet you have one breakdown and it’s in the back of your net. They have their players on the other side, and they capitalize with their opportunities.

First half of the season and today, does it seem like a game like this sort of typifies the frustration of you guys play a good game for 55 minutes and then something goes wrong?

Yeah, it’s kind of been the course where first half we play the majority of the game pretty well and do a lot of things well yet, we end up on the wrong side of things.

Flyers C Jordan Weal

Did you just lose it there on that last goal?

Oh yeah, it bounced. Just bounced on me, plain and simple. Gotta be a little harder on that though, bear down make the right play.

Does it feel like with any simple little mistake that gets made, it ends up blowing up in to a goal against?

That seems like what it’s been like the past couple weeks now. Something little happens and it just snowballs in to a goal against. We got to play smart 200-foot hockey if we’re going to get out of this and that wasn’t it.

How hard does that make it mentally to really kind of delve in to the x’s and o’s and really look at a game and try and take away positives from it? If any little thing becomes a big thing.

Well I think we’ve gotten better at it. If a guy makes a mistake out there, because it’s going to happen it’s hockey, we’re really backing the guys up. There’s a couple of plays out there where guys had great back checks and stole pucks. TK comes to mind there, that’s just helping your team mates out and that’s what a team is for. We’re starting to get better at that, but got some room to go, just got to eliminate those little things that are shooting ourselves in the foot.

Philadelphia Flyers G Carter Hart

Considering the job that the guys did in front of you on the Monahan, Gaudreau line, do you feel pretty comfortable with the way you were able to see the puck and the chances that they were getting, not being the grade A all alone out front?

“Like you said, we did a good job of limiting their chances. Shut down their top line for most of the night. It’s disappointing to come out with a result like that. I thought we really battled hard tonight and the guys really wanted to win. It’s tough when you come out with result like that.”

What was clicking in your game tonight that wasn’t the last time?

“I was seeing the puck, I felt comfortable, I wasn’t overthinking things and just stuck to my game.”

How difficult were the days after that Carolina game?

“I think after that night happened you just put it behind you the next day and move on.”

Did you know Tkachuk was there on the second goal?

“Yeah, it was a good shot above the pad. It was definitely a savable puck for sure.”

Philadelphia Flyers RW Dale Weise

Dale this being the half way point of the seasons, kind of the craziest first 41 games you’ve seen?

By far, with coaches, GM’s, goaltenders, lines changing, it’s been really wild and the craziest thing I’ve ever seen.

You guys were in the driver’s seat for most of the game today, what did you see on your line going up against the Monahan line for most of the game?

I thought we did a good job on them, that line is dangerous, you don’t have to give them very much and they create a lot. I thought we did a really good job, a couple d-zone draws were they run a couple good plays there and we did a good job, it’s just frustrating. We played really well for call it 55 minutes it would be 50 and then the last 10 we’re just playing not to lose and kind of let our foot off the gas, which has kind of been the story for us.

It’s easy to take away the positives, but is there enough resiliency in the room just to get over this and start something new?

I feel like every game we’re trying to start something new, we got on a streak here we lost five in a row or whatever it is, every day we come to the rink we’re trying to start something new.   There was a lot of positives tonight. I think when you get into something like this the only thing you can do is try to look at the positives.  That’s a really good hockey team over there and we played really well, we had enough chances to win the game. I liked our power play, they had some good looks, we had good contributions from everybody, we just need to find a way to win games in the last 10 minutes. We lose a lot of games in the 10 minutes where I don’t know if anybody is doing anything that special to beat us, we’re just having mental breakdowns and we’re giving teams the game in the last 10 minutes.

Do the guys have positives like you have too, to maintain that and look at it?

Yeah, I think so, like I said we try to mentally reset every game.  That’s really all we can do at this point, you can’t really look at the standings that’s not going to do anyone any favors. We come to the rink every day, put a smile on your face, we bust to be an NHL hockey player and try to build something here the best way we can.

Philadelphia Flyers Interim Head Coach Scott Gordon

For most of that game until you got down to the overtime, what did you see (inaudible) when you it break down?

Jordan had the puck, made a nice cut to the middle, almost had an opportunity and then it came back to him and it looked like he was going to go to JVR and they closed that off. I think he had the right idea to move that puck to Ghost but I think he got it on his heels and he didn’t get all of it and it rolled on him so the rest of the story we know but it was the right play, I think he just needed to take a step towards Ghost.

This is the first half mark of the season, I know you haven’t been here that long but it seemed like today, this kind of game shows what you do, dominate for 40 minutes and then something goes wrong, would you say that that’s the frustrating part of this whole thing?

I wouldn’t say that we didn’t play well in the last 15 minutes, I thought obviously they had two power plays in the third right? So, you lose 4 minutes there but the winning goal, I think the guys were just too cautious; we backed off the initial fore-check, there should be someone steering the puck and not allowing the play to be able to get to the red line without any pressure and you know that’s not from being reckless or anything.  That’s just probably from being too conservative so we’ll talk about it tomorrow in practice and before we go on the ice.

When you talk in practice, is the message building something in game 41, you’re relatively new to the program, how do you balance you’re message from we’re building to we’re running out of time?

Yeah, well no matter what your situation is, you have to build the right things and obviously there’s a lot of good things.  Their goalie had a hell of a game and I thought defensively we did a lot of the right things. Their team loves to get the puck behind the net and find somebody open in front and we shut that that down really well tonight and that’s not an easy area to sell to your team to consistently do that because it involves playing a little more in the defensive zone for the wingers and it has to have reads and it has to have patience.  To our player’s credit, I thought they did an excellent job and that’s something whether it be that or how we play in the offensive zone or through the neutral zone, just getting a level of consistency that is happening all the time.

The power play, besides the one you scored on, where you did everything and anything you wanted to do to go to the net. A psychiatrist would say there is something to say about confidence. 

We did get the one goal. 9 shots. We had 2 power plays against us and gave 1 shot. Again you are up against a goaltender that’s playing well and you’re creating your opportunities. They are not going in. A couple power plays in the second, I didn’t think we did a good job, getting through the blue line area. That would have been the only thing I would have liked the power play to do better. 

You don’t usually see a fourth line matched up against a first line, especially a first line as good as Calgary’s. What was your thought process putting up the Laughton line against the first line?

Well, it wasn’t just them. Coots line was also out against them. I didn’t want to get consumed by one line being against the top line, or whatever you want to call it. I think the one thing that you can say about all three of those guys and what makes it hard to play against them is if they  manage the puck well, which means they’re going to get in on forecheck and going to be hard to play against. That’s not what top offensive lines like. They like to play against top lines, because they know they are going to make mistakes, turn pucks over. We have balance with that, with Coots line and with Laughts. As far as being able to have two lines you feel comfortable with. The rest you sort from there. ​

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