The Flyers put up a good fight to stay in this game eventually forced to settle for one point. The Oilers have had some struggles out of the gate this season but they are still one of the best teams in the NHL. The Flyers were outshot throughout this contest but kept their focus where it needed to be. They managed to keep Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl limited to a combined one shot on goal. Quite an acheivment.
Dan Vladar
Flyers netminder Dan Vladar was exceptional again tonight stopping 30 of 32 Edmonton shots and keeping his team in this contest. He was challenged by quality chances on multiple occasions. His ability to recover and reposition after initial saves has been a hallmark of his strong play so far this season. Halfway through regulation the Flyers were down 1-0 after being outshot 22-6. Vladar was the difference.
The Flyers had let their guard down with just 55 seconds left in the opening period. Evan Bouchard teed up a one timer from the top of the slot. McDavid picked up the assist.
2nd Period
The Flyers went on the power-play when Jake Walman was called for hooking Owen Tippett. The Philadelphia power-play which has been much improved this season tied the game 15:38 into the second period. Cam York passed to Matvei Michkov who fired a wrist shot from the top of the circle beating Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner and tying the game at one apiece.
The Flyers played a chippy and aggressive style throughout the middle period. The Flyers continued to neutralize two of the biggest stars in the NHL. Dan Vladar made save after save to keep the score knotted at one. Nicolas Deslauriers stepped up the physical end of the game and Garnet Hathaway did everything he could come up with to be as annoying as possible against the talented Edmonton squad.
Foerster returns
Tyson Foerster was back in the lineup tonight and immediately looked like his old self, no worse for the wear. Foerster missed four games after blocking a shot against the Toronto Maple Leafs on November 1st.
3rd Period
The third period started with Noah Cates taking a high sticking penalty during the opening faceoff against Connor McDavid. This set the tone just three seconds into the final twenty minutes of regulation. At 14:25 Trent Frederic crashed into the Flyers goalie picking up an interference call. A scuffle ensued which ended with Mattias Janmark getting pegged for unsportsmanlike conduct and Vladar getting two for roughing.
The Flyers had put forth a valiant effort against the mighty Edmonton Oilers. The game was in the final moment of regulation with the score still tied at one. With just 23.5 seconds left on the clock Travis Sanheim let go of a shot that was deflected downward from quite a ways out by Travis Konecny. The puck traveled through a ton of traffic in front and it seems Skinner may have never seen it coming as it went behind him and into the oilers net.
Not so fast
The place went nuts. With just seconds left on the clock the Flyers and their hardworking goaltender looked to have the win all but locked. I wish that was the end of the story but unfortunately it is not.
Celebration turned to concern as the on ice officials started to engage in conversation. The play was going to be reviewed for a possible offsides. A second angle of the entry did in fact show that Owen Tipped had both feet over the blueline before the puck entered the zone. No goal.
The Flyers seemed content to let the clock run out, secure their one point, and take this game safely into overtime. They passed the puck back and forth in their own end until the remaining seconds clicked off the clock and the horn sounded signaling the end of regulation.
OT
1:19 into the overtime session the Flyers had circled back a bit to regroup. Trevor Zegras dropped the puck back to Cam York. The puck would not settle and bounced off of his stick as he lost his footing. Zegras was in no position to give chase as Matthew Savoie and Jack Roslovic skated in on Dan Vladar 2-on-0. Savoie made the cross slot pass to Roslovic who tapped the game winning goal into the net.
The Flyers earned a hard fought point but that was little consolation at the time. A rightfully disallowed goal and a bad bounce had quickly transformed this game into the one that got away.
Up Next: The Flyers will be in St Louis to faceoff against the Blues this Friday night at 8:00 PM.
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