Flyers Force Shootout But Can’t Earn Two Points on Saturday vs. Blue Jackets

PHILADELPHIA – Another Philadelphia Flyers (31-23-12) went to the shootout, as 65 minutes vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets (34-21-11) were not enough on Saturday at Xfinity Mobile Arena, as the Blue Jackets took the game 2-1.

The Flyers earned a point, but lost a pivotal chance to earn two points in the playoff race.

Kirill Marchenko scored for the Blue Jackets. Alex Bump scored for the Flyers.

After both teams scored in the first period, neither could generate many dangerous scoring chances as the rest of regulation ticked away. The game needed overtime to determine a winner. That did not work, so the game ended in a shootout.

Here is how we got to the final score.

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Flyers tie it after 20

The Flyers got off to an excellent start in what was a must-win game for Philadelphia. An early dominating shift by the top two lines hemmed the Blue Jackets’ defense in their own zone. The Flyers were generating pressure – it looked like the beginning of a great night.

That took a turn 4:21 into the game when Kirill Marchenko (25) buried a wrister from the slot. Adam Fantilli (28) and Damon Severson (22) picked up the assists. A scrum occurred in front of the net, which likely had Dan Vladar’s focus. Travis Konecny went down during the play, but never missed a shift.

So, the Flyers were trailing early in a very important game, but evened the score just over six minutes later.

Emil Andrae (11) sent a rocket from the point that got redirected by Alex Bump (2) and past Jet Greaves. While initially called no-goal on the ice, a brief review at the following stoppage put the Flyers on the board and tied the game at 1-1. Christian Dvorak (26) had the secondary assist.

After the equalizer, play on both sides became a little sloppier defensively, but not much clearer on the opposite side of the puck.

Denver Barkey went down following a massive hit from Kirill Marchenko into the boards. Bareky immediately left the game, but returned for the start of the second period.

Nothing came from the Flyers’ power play, and the game went into the first intermission tied at 1.

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Slow first 18 minutes, eventful final 2

The second period got off to just about the opposite start as the first. It was a slow-building period with turnover after turnover.

Nothing came from the first 10 minutes of the period. After 15 minutes, the Flyers had just 2 shots on goal. Columbus had 7, but not many high-danger, or really any danger chances.

A fight between Adam Fantilli and Carl Grundstrom was about as close to fireworks as we got in the second period. Matching penalty minutes led to no power play.

The Flyers did land a power play after Nikita Grebenkin drew a cross-check on Cole Sillinger, but it might as well have been even strength. Denver Barkey drew two cross-checks from Damon Severson, who got called for both.

Philly did not score before the second period ended, but still had 3:35 remaining once the third period opened.

Once again, 65 is not enough

The first Severson cross-check was killed off with ease, and the second was no different. Philadelphia opened the third period of a must-win game with 3:35 of power-play time and was unable to score.

Much of the same sloppy, boring hockey continued after the Blue Jackets’ penalty kill. No real action came until Rasmus Ristolainen got called for a trip, putting Columbus on the power play in a pivotal moment with 12:31 to play. Fortunately for the Flyers, they got the kill.

If you thought either team was going to score or do anything of any real chance, you’d be wrong. The clock slowly ticked, and the regulation eventually ended, still tied at 1.

Overtime was about as uneventful as could be. Matvei Michkov had a breakaway, but the stick of Fantilli broke up the chance. Neither team recorded a shot at 3-on-3, so to the shootout we went.

Matvei Michkov and Kent Johnson each had their attempts saved. Trevor Zegras was stopped by Jet Greaves, and Adam Fantilli’s attempt would not go. Travis Konecny could not get his shot to go, and Kirill Marchenko beat Vladar to pick up the two points for the Blue Jackets in a 2-1 game.

What’s next

The Flyers kick off a three-game West Coast trip, starting with the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday at 10:00 p.m. EST at the Honda Center.

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