First period
Ottawa’s youngsters would get the first scoring chance of the game, with Brady Tkachuk trying to stuff one home on the doorstep, but he was denied by Anthony Stolarz. Tkachuk posted three points in his first game against the Flyers earlier this season in Ottawa.
But it would be the Flyers that would strike first, with the top line doing the honors. Travis Konecny one-timed a perfect feed from Claude Giroux to beat Mike McKenna and make it 1-0 just under five minutes in. Ivan Provorov picked up the other assist on the goal, which redirected off Chris Tierney in front and past McKenna.
Travis Konecny opens up the scoring! pic.twitter.com/m2FiySL2x9
— Broad Street Hockey (@BroadStHockey) November 28, 2018
The lead was short-lived, with Thomas Chabot beating Stolarz less than two minutes after the Konecny goal to even things up at 1-1. It’s Chabot’s seventh of the season as he continues his Erik Karlsson impression for the Sens, once again grabbing the NHL points lead by defenseman from Morgan Rielly with the tally. As with Konency’s goal, this one was also aided by friendly fire as the shot glanced off Oskar Lindblom on the way to Stolarz.
A really bad interference penalty from Robert Hagg would give Ottawa the first power play of the game 6:59 in, though the Flyers would kill it off without allowing a shot on goal. The kill was aided by the return of Michael Raffl, who had a good shift shorthanded and then registered a scoring chance on a deflection not long after.
Jordan Weal was next up to take a dumb penalty, going off for a cross-check in the offensive zone at 13:37. But the Flyers were able to get another clean kill, not allowing the Senators to get much zone time much less setup on the power play. Weal nearly redeemed himself with a high-rising shot pegged for the upper corner, but McKenna smothered the bid to keep things even with 3:02 left.
Then the Flyers nearly beat the buzzer as Nolan Patrick streaked towards the net off a Jake Voracek pass, but McKenna shrugged off the bid among his 10 saves in the frame.
After 20: Flyers 1, Senators 1
McKenna would be up to more of the same to start the second, denying Giroux and Konecny on back-to-back chances as the top line picked up where the left off in the first. The Flyers would continue the pressure with a good shifts from the Weal line and then the Scott Laughton line to keep things rolling.
The pressure would pay off with Jake Voracek putting one past McKenna on a delayed call to make it 2-1 Flyers just 3:22 into the frame. It’s the sixth of the year for Voracek, ending a five-game pointless streak in the process. Provorov picked up his second assists of the night, with Laughton getting the other assist on the tally.
Voracek from Provorov, 2-1! pic.twitter.com/V8C06n04lb
— Broad Street Hockey (@BroadStHockey) November 28, 2018
Radko Gudas would keep the ice tilted towards the Senators’ end, firing home a point shot through a mess of traffic and past McKenna to make it 3-1 Flyers. It’s Gudas’ first of the season, just 2:38 after Voracek gave the Flyers the lead, and it ends a 52-game goal drought (including postseason) for the bearded defender.
Radko Gudas’ slap shot goes clean in, 3-1. pic.twitter.com/eZjBiPR6Wb
— Broad Street Hockey (@BroadStHockey) November 28, 2018
While not too busy with the Flyers carrying play, Stolarz came up with a dandy save in close on Tkachcuk after a ghastly turnover from Shayne Gostisbehere to keep the two goal lead intact.
Stolarz bails out Ghost. pic.twitter.com/SFGXEwIyy9
— Broad Street Hockey (@BroadStHockey) November 28, 2018
Stolarz would be relied upon to protect the lead once again late in the second with James van Riemsdyk off for tripping to send the Senators back on the power play. Bobby Ryan tested Stolarz with a wicked one-timer, but the netminder got across to make a fine save on Cherry Hill’s own.
After 40: Flyers 3, Senators 1
Scott Laughton would get the first chance of the third on a semi-breakaway, but felt Senators defenders gaining on him and fired a wrist shot high above McKenna. Laughton was looking to build on an already two-point night with the chance.
McKenna kept the Senators in reach with another stop on an odd-man rush ending with a Nolan Patrick chance 6:03 in as the Flyers pushed for a put away goal in the early stages of the third. The journeyman netminder was really the only reason the deficit wasn’t larger given the massive disparity in shorts between the two clubs with the Flyers carrying play to the tune of a 36-17 edge in shots with just over eight minutes remaining in the period.
But despite the edge in play, Brady Tkachuk would pull the Senators within a goal by jamming home a loose puck that Stolarz couldn’t locate after Mark Stone rang a shot off the post. This goal cut the Flyers’ lead to 3-2 with 8:28 left in the game. Stolarz got help from the post on Stone’s shot, but the puck ended up on the side of his pad and fell to the ice and Tkachuk’s stick when the goalie tried to turn to locate it.
Less than two minutes later the Senators would complete the comeback, with Tkachuk deflecting a Thomas Chabot point shot past Stolarz to even things up at 3-3 with 6:34 remaining. If he wasn’t a Flyers killer after three points in his debut against the Orange and Black, his two goals in this one probably seals it.
Matt Duchene would provide the kill shot, batting a loose puck out of the air off his own blocked shot past Stolarz to give the Senators their first lead of the night at 4-3 with 2: 59 left in regulation.
Just a ridiculous goal scored by Matt Duchene. pic.twitter.com/AwyMly1Vqq
— Broad Street Hockey (@BroadStHockey) November 28, 2018
A late flurry with the Flyers’ net empty would prove to be futile as the Senators complete the comeback and stun the Flyers in a third period meltdown.
Final: Senators 4, Flyers 3
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeep. Way she goes, boys (and girls).
