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Blue Jackets 5, Flyers 4: Please don’t let it get to ten

Posted on by Colin Loughin

The Flyers dropped a wild back and forth game 5-4 to the Columbus Blue Jackets in OT. It was another slow start by the Flyers who once again fell behind and had to battle back.

For the Flyers, again, the top line carried the load offensively and Carter Hart played solid in net. They did get a little help from the bottom six tonight but could not take advantage of that and saw the losing streak climb to four games.

Meanwhile, Columbus saw their tough luck with injuries continue in this game, but, to their credit, they were still able to take advantage of costly mistakes by the Flyers and pull this one out.

1st Period

Columbus got on the board first after a Sean Kuraly centering attempt deflected off Justin Brauns stick and past Carter Hart. The chance came after a terrible line change by the Flyers gave Columbus a free entry into the zone. It would be the only tally of the period while the shots were 9-7 in favor of Columbus.

2nd Period

The Flyers would get the first power-play of the game after Erik Gudbranson was called for interference on Lukas Sedlak. However, just over half way through the power play Owen Tippett was called for his own interference penalty. Columbus would take advantage of their opportunity, as Boone Jenner had an easy tip-in after a nice setup from Johnny Gaudreau, to make it a 2-0 game.

The Flyers would get one back after Kevin Hayes rocketed a one timer past Elvis Merzlikins off a beautiful pass from Travis Konecny.

Just over 12 minutes into the period the Flyers were able to win a face off and transition quickly to the offensive zone where Zack MacEwen fed Noah Cates with a beautiful no-look pass to knot things up at two.

After the play Columbus goalie Elvis Merzlikins exited the game, not able to put any weight on his left leg. He was replaced by Joonas Korpisalo.

3rd Period

A blocked shot by Boone Jenner at the blue line released him for a breakaway which he lifted over Hart’s blocker for his second of the game, which gave Columbus the 3-2 lead. Just 13 seconds later the Blue Jackets on again made a two-goal game as Eric Robinson was able to put one past Hart’s right leg.

The Flyers once again cut the deficit in half after a point shot from Nick Seeler found its way through a lot of bodies to sneak under Korpisalo.

The Flyers would get their second power play opportunity after Tony DeAngelo was slashed by Brendan Gaunce. The Flyers would convert on this opportunity after Konecny was able to jam one home on the doorstep. The teams would skate the rest of the period without a goal, sending the game to overtime.

Overtime

It was a deliberate overtime with both teams doing a lot of skating with the puck but not generating a lot of chances. Ultimately, a Kevin Hayes turnover in the offensive zone led to a 3-on-1 for Columbus, which ended with Vladislav Gavrikov potting the game winner.

Final Thoughts

  • Travis Konecny registered a goal and assist tonight and is currently riding a seven-game point streak, which is a career-high for the young winger. He leads the team in basically all offensive stats and has without a doubt been one of the top players for the Flyers in this early season. Aside from his on-ice play, it appears he has also taken a step as a leader off the ice, which is great to see.
  • The Flyers have been nothing if not resilient this season. Like they have numerous other times this season, they found a way to battle back from a two goal deficit, doing it twice tonight. While they are the biggest reason to blame for constantly falling behind in games, it is still nice to see a team that can battle back, which has not always been the case in past seasons.
  • That goal cannon sucks and ESPN showing it every time they scored didn’t help. I’m sure if you’re a Columbus fan its fun and exciting but as an away fan I hate it.
  • The Flyers will continue their road trip, and carry their four game losing streak, Thursday night as they face the Boston Bruins. The schedule only gets tougher from now until Christmas, so the Flyers really need to figure things out if they want to be playing meaningful games in the new year. /
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