Photo Credits: FNG’s Rob Windfelder
The Flyers were in Ottawa Thursday night to faceoff against Claude Giroux and the Senators. This was the 198th game that Giroux has played since he parted ways with the Orange and Black. He has accrued 178 points during that time.
Sean Couturier missed this game with a lower body injury making room for the return of Morgan Frost to the line-up. Samuel Ersson suffered what is being described as a minor injury at practice yesterday so Ivan Fedotov got the start with Alexei Kolosov on hand should he be needed.
Philly vs Ottawa
Travis Sanheim has been a real presence for the Flyers this season at both ends of the ice. He’s logged over 30 minutes in both of his last two games. Tonight he was itching for the puck right out of the gate. He registered the first shot of the game which was blockered away by Linus Ullmark.
In a 1st period where the Flyers often appeared guilty of attempting one too many passes Sanheim seemed to have the right idea. The second shot of the game also came off the stick of Travis Sanheim. A low percentage wrist shot from top of the slot that eluded Ullmark and put the Flyers on the board 2:31 into the game.
The Senators on the other hand were shooting the puck with reckless abandon. They outshot the Flyers in the first 14-3. Brady Tkachuk tied the game at one when he was allowed to skate up the slot receive the pass and whip it past Fedotov at 6:02.
Ivan Fedotov
Garnet Hathaway works hard and hard work draws penalties. The best player on your power-play is not expected to be your goaltender. Ivan Fedotov had to put out a couple fires during the Flyers first man advantage. The Flyers were not creating any offense and had two separate breakdowns that led to dangerous odd man rushes from the short-handed Senators. Fedotov stood tall denying Shane Pinto then Giroux all alone on the doorstep.
Bottled Up
Right from the start of the 2nd period puck possession was all Ottawa. They had the Flyers bottled up for much of the period. The Flyers were having trouble clearing their own zone. Being trapped like that leads to extra long shifts and tired players on the ice. Tired players take shortcuts which leads to penalties.
Special Teams
The Flyers have the 2nd ranked penalty kill in the NHL but the Senators power-play is mighty potent. They are scoring on 42% of their man advantages on home ice. You don’t want to keep putting this formula to the test. The Flyers took four penalties in the 2nd period alone.
Drake Batherson scored while the Flyers were shorthanded on a pretty tic-tac-toe passing play 8:41 into the period. Ryan Poehling had lost his stick in a collision at the blue line making it even harder to defend against the Senators prolific power-play.
Halfway through the period with another Ottawa power-play on the way Flyers head coach John Tortorella used his time out. He had nothing to say to his players, he was just resting his overused penalty killers.
Team Work
The Flyers had a few chances all based on individual efforts. It was all “one and done”. Ottawa was not allowing the Flyers to enter and get set up in the zone. Things were so lopsided. Fedotov was being called on often and playing up to the challenge. Linus Ullmark on the other hand could have been replaced with an orange traffic cone for most of the night.
TK
Tyson Foerster registered a shot on goal and was totally robbed by Ullmark at the side of the net. This happened with just under four minutes left in the period and it was the Flyers second shot on goal. Travis Konecny took a stretch pass from Noah Cates and flew right up the middle and ripped it glove side tying the game with 1:12 left in the period.
Somehow this game went into the second intermission tied at two. The shots on goal after two periods were 28-7 in favor of the Senators.
More of the same…
The final period started with yet another long Ottawa possession and the Flyers unable to clear the puck out of their zone. This went on for 1:38 before Fedotov wisely blockered a shot into the safety netting to get a much needed stoppage of play. Josh Norris pinballed a shot past Fedotov 4:27 into the 3rd period to make it 3-2 Ottawa. The shots on goal at this point were 31-8.
The Flyers were continuing to test the Senators power play. Bad idea. Adam Gaudette went backhand through the five hole at 10:05 with the man advantage giving Ottawa a two goal lead 4-2. It appeared the Senators were about to run away with the score. The Flyers were not generating chances and it was actually amazing that it had taken this long to put them down.
Anthony Richard
Anthony Richard looked strong all through camp and the preseason. Solid player, good speed, lots of hockey sense. He continues to make the very most of his recent call up. He’s starting to make a habit of making clutch plays just when they’re needed most. Tonight was absolutely no exception. In this lopsided contest Anthony Richard scored a much needed goal at 10:42, and set up a second goal by Bobby Brink at 12.45. In less than two minutes Richard transformed this game from an impending disaster into a 4-4 tie.
Ivan Fedotov stoned Norris with just seconds left in regulation and unbelievably the Flyers were headed to overtime for the 4th consecutive game.
From Russia with Love
This was Fedotov’s second consecutive stand out game. The Flyers netminder made three huge saves during the overtime giving the Flyers a chance to win this thing against all odds. Almost everything about the game stats paints the picture of a blowout. Shots 19-37, Power Plays 0.0% – 33.3%, Give Aways 18-6. Somehow this game was 4:55 into the overtime period when Matvei Michkov scored an unassisted goal from an impossible angle to win this improbable game.
The final play appeared almost like it was running out of steam and possibly regrouping. Michkov looked like he was out of options and headed around behind the net. One of his skates was already over the goal line when he snapped the shot through a peep-hole between Ottawa’s goaltender and the post. It ain’t over till it’s over, never say die, all that good stuff. This game says a lot about this team, not all of it good. A very confusing and much needed win.
Extra Credit: Three stars of the night Fedotov, Richard, Michkov. You can pick the order, any version would be understandable.
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The game was filled with guts and angst. Was a beauty of a showing for Cates. He’s been stellar.
Cates has been fantastic