Instant reactions: Flyers blow 3-goal lead, Zegras and Ersson win it in shootout

Watch PHLY Flyers Postgame

The Philadelphia Flyers opened up a 3-0 lead on goals by Tyson Foerster, Sean Couturier and Trevor Zegras in the first 22 mniutes of action, but the New York Islanders scored three unanswered in the second period to tie it up and eventually force overtime.

But when 65 minutes isn’t enough, the FlyGuys have the NHL’s ultimate shootout weapons- Zegras and Sam Ersson, both of whom came through in the clutch, along with Travis Konecny, to win the game they once seemed to have in the bag.

It wasn’t always pretty, but the Orange & Black have been winning at quite an impressive clip, albeit rarely in regulation, and here we are on Black Friday, right in the Eastern Conference Playoff mix.

First period

The Flyers and Islanders are scoreless and tied at one shot on goal a piece four minutes into the game, but the Isles will go on the power play after a Tyson Foerster high-stick on an errant stick lift against Matthew Schaefer. The NYI PP has been horrible, 12.7% on the season, and 10.5% in November. Predictably, the Flyers get the kill, pushing the Isles’ power play slump to 0/28.

TYSON FOERSTER PUTS THE FLYERS UP 1-0! Travis Sanheim skates the puxck out of the defensive zone and hands off to Travis Konecny who blindly throws it into the middle to be intercepted, but a charging TyFo strips the puck and rips a shot by David Rittich to give Philly the lead.

MAKE IT 2-0 TWENTY-ONE SECONDS LATER! San Couturier gets in on the action, after finding himself with a lot of room in the left wing circle after intercepting a clearing attempt, and Coots made the decision to shoot with nobody but the goalie in front of him this time, and the decision paid off. That gives the Flyers’ captain goals in consecutive games after suffering through a 17-game goalless drought dating back to his two-goal, four-point home opener.

Through 15 minutes shots are 3-3, but the Flyers have blocked 10 shots. They’re backing in and giving a little too much in the neutral zone, but they’re not letting much actually get to Ersson. However, they’ve spent way too much time on defense, despite the pair of goals in the first half of the frame.

After getting away with what looked like some sort of obstruction in the defensive zone and getting a little time on offense, Rodrigo Abols takes down Simon Holmstrom as the Isles broke out, and got called for tripping. Another opportunity for the Isles’ struggling power play. Some great work down low by Foerster to forecheck away some penalty time below the Isles’ goal line after he and Noah Cates almost created an odd-man rush back at their own blue line. That pretty much took care of penalty, and the Flyers escape unscathed.

Before the period can end, the Isles get called for elbowing, and Philly gets an o-zone draw with 3.1 seconds left. Rick Tocchet doesn’t pull Ersson though (boooo!), and the period ends with a Cates faceoff win and Trevor Zegras’ attempt stopped. The Flyers will start the second with almost a full power play to work with.

Second period

THEY DID IT! THE FLYERS SCORED ON A POWER PLAY THAT BEGAN THE PERIOD PRIOR! Trevor Zegras, after some really strong pressure and chances, many of which involved Emil Andrae, walked the puck from the left side and appeared to try to get it across to Michkov, but it deflected off a defender and into the net. 3-0 Good Guys. Andrae earns the assist, the first assist of the game after both first period goals were without helpers. {There was a second assist added later, crediting Matvei Michkov with the secondary}.

The Islanders cut the lead to 3-1, with Kyle Palmieri, who was stuck in the zone after appearing to get hurt in the corner, stealing the puck from behind Andrae when he drags it back into the defensive zone. Palmieri feeds Emil Heineman who shelves it over Ersson for NYI’s first goal of the game. Really unfortunate turn of events, with Andrae bringing the puck in being the reason the play isn’t offside, and then getting his pocket picked to set up the goal. The Islanders also had six guys on the ice for the goal. And blatantly. So we can break down pixel-by-pixel if a play is offside, but not if the opposition is blatantly cheating by putting an extra player on the ice. Very stupid league.

New York has really picked up the pace since the goal, and now the Flyers have to find a way to swing momentum.

But, no, on a delayed call (no idea what for) Matthew Schaefer makes it 3-2 after a failed clear. Schaefer takes a handoff at the blue line, walks in on the left side and beats Ersson. Schaefer set some sort of rookie/teenage redcord for goals or points. I didn’t hear what JJ said. I’m sure it’s impressive.

Michkov almost had a chance to extend the lead on a rebound but wasn’t able to swat it over the sprawling Rittich and into the net. Still 3-2. The pace of the game has intensified quite a bit since the mostly uneventful first period. Shots in the period are 8-8 with 8:30 left after the first 20 minutes saw nine total shots on goal.

The Flyers have tightened up after some loosey-goosey hockey in the middle of the period allowed the Isles back into the game, and now Travis Sanheim draws a penalty with a deke at the point, forcing Bo Horvat to tie him up and trip him down. Philly gets a man advantage with 4:07 left in the second, and an insurance goal badly needed.

With 29 seconds left on the penalty, TK gets called for “holding” against Holmstrom for brushing against him. There was an official on the goal line directly in front of the interaction, but it was the man at center ice who decided to put his arm up. Sure, why not? You already allowed a goal with six Isles on the ice, why not end a power play 30 seconds early for no reason, as well? Now the Isles get a late-period power play.

The “Islanders” (read: officials) tie the game. Whatever. Mat Barzal carries around for a while, Schaefer puts it towards the net, and the puck gets deflected by both Max Shabanov and Anders Lee. 3-3.

We’re two-thirds of the way through regulation tied at three, with the Isles leading the shot battle 19-15, and scorers three straight goals after falling behind 3-0. Ugh. I f’n hate the Islanders.

Third period

I don’t know, some things have happened, but this just feels ticketed for overtime. The Islanders are definitely carrying play. Heineman nearly gave NYI the lead on what looked like what going to be a harmless shot from the outside but he really leaned into and rang a laser off the crossbar behind Ersson.

Schaefer is so good. The smooth skating and puck-handling is really something to watch.

Sam Ersson keeps the game tied late, when Noah Juulsen gets burned in the neutral zone leading to a rush for the Isles, but Ersson slammed the door, waiting on the cross pass to Calum Ritchie. But now Michkov is headed to the box for a double-minor high stick. The Islanders broke a LONG power play goal drought earlier, and now they’ll get four minutes of penalty time with the game tied and 6:39 left in regulation.

After a clear, Rittich attempts to push play back up to his PP unit, and ices the puck. NYI wins the faceoff but it killed a little bit of time. That was nice.

I have no idea who this “Emil Heineman” character is, but this dude can shoot. He puts a one-timer off the post, his second near-miss of the period. The puck explodes off his stick.

Jamie Drysdasle misses a pretty easy pass exiting the defensive zone to Bobby Brink near on the RW wall right near the red line, icing it with 22.8 seconds left. Coots wins the d-zone draw against the rookie, and that’ll do it for regulation.

There were some late opportunities, but, of course, we’re heading to OVERTIME!

Philly had played three consecutive games that ended after the initial 60 minutes, tying their season-high, so it only makes sense we’re getting some 3v3.

Overtime

Sam Ersson has now gone to OT in six of eight starts. Unbelievable.

The Flyers have been incredibly sloppy with the puck so far, and they’re lucky not to have lost in the first two minutes of overtime after some high-danger turnovers. Ersson is the only reason this isn’t over, as the sloppiness bleeds into the final two minutes. Foerster, Michkov, Konecny and Zegras are just some of the giveaway culprits.

Zegras and Dvorak get a 2-on-1 with about a minute left, Zegras steps up and elects to shoot, but misses wide.

Zegras and Foerster combined to force a few turnovers of their own and with the Isles hemmed in they earned a few opportunities but couldn’t cash them.

SHOOTOUT TIME! Philly is 4-0 in shootouts this year, including a victory over these Islanders about a month ago. Ersson has been in net for three of the four shootout wins.

Shootout

Zegras: Automatic. Goal. (1-0)

Barzal: No goal, post.

Michkov: Save.

Holmstrom: Goal. (1-1)

Konecny: Goal. (2-1)

Horvat: Save.

Flyers win, and they’re 5-0 in the shootout. What a time to be alive.

Watch PHLY Flyers Postgame