Flyers Fall in OT, Lose 3-2 in Dallas

The Philadelphia Flyers picked up their 65th point of the season but fell 3-2 to the Dallas Stars on Saturday afternoon.

The Flyers hung around with one of the best teams in the league, getting scoring from Travis Konecny and Ryan Poehling. Sam Ersson turned in a great two-period relief appearance in net after replacing Ivan Fedotov after 20 minutes.

With the loss, the Flyers record dropped to 28-34-9.

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Two Shots, Two Goals

The Dallas Stars got out to just about the most efficient start imaginable.

Stars’ blueliner Thomas Harley (14) continued his excellent season on Saturday, scoring on not just his first shot of the game but the Stars’ as well. One shot, one goal for Dallas at the 6:27 mark in the first period.

The next Stars’ shot would not come until just over two minutes later when Esa Lindell (5) scored on the Stars’ second shot of the game.

Ironically, the Flyers played a solid defensive game. That carried over from Thursday’s loss to the Washington Capitals. The Flyers held one of the best-scoring teams in the league to just 16 total shots.

Dallas eventually had just one more shot in the period, bringing their shot total to three. Between the third period of Thursday’s game and the first period of Saturday’s, the Flyers held the Capitals (2) and Stars (3) to a combined five shots on goal.

Offensively, the Flyers struggled again. The Flyers had two power-play chances, including their second one that bled into the second period, but the team just looked lost on both attempts.

Konecny Snaps His Scoreless Streak

At last, Travis Konecny snapped his scoreless skid. After 13 games, Konecny (23) scored his first goal in 21 days.

The goal marked Konecny’s first point in four games and just his fifth since the 4 Nations break. The Flyers’ star got Philly on the board 13 minutes into the second period of Saturday’s contest.

Konecny was not the only Flyer to light the lamp in the second period.

With just over a minute remaining in the period, Ryan Poehling (7) netted his third goal in five games to tie the game back up at two. Poehing cashed in off a great feed from Matvei Michkov (28).

Among the notable action of the second period, Sam Ersson took over for starter Ivan Fedotov at the beginning of the second period. Ersson stood on his head in the second period, and made a couple of big stops to keep the Flyers in range to tie the game back up.

At one point, it looked like Matt Duchene scored the Stars’ third goal of the game. However, a great stick save from Emil Andrae pulled the puck back into play before it fully crossed the red line, keeping the Stars at just two goals. It was just about as you can get to scoring without actually scoring.

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60 Minutes was not Enough, Barley

Like the last game, the Flyers played some of their best hockey in the third period.

It was a tightly contested period. Both teams defended well but also had a few great chances to take the lead. Both teams also had a power play chance early in the period.

Despite that, neither team could pot the go-ahead score. The game needed an extra frame, as 60 minutes was not enough, barley.

Overtime can be one of the most exciting parts of hockey. The three-on-three format can be thrilling but can be excruciatingly boring at the same time.

However, overtime would not last long enough to experience either.

Thomas Harley (15) took advantage of loose passing by the Flyers, grabbed the puck, sent a backhanded shot through the pads of Ersson, and scored the overtime winner just nine seconds into the extra frame. The Stars would win 3-2 in overtime.

What’s Next for the Flyers

The Flyers will hop on a plane and head to Chicago, where they will face off with the Blackhawks on Sunday.

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