Analysis: Flyers lose to Flames 5-4 in overtime

Flames Goals

• Johnny Gaudreau (9), assists: Micheal Ferland, Sean Monahan
• Sean Monahan (9) (Power Play), assists: Kris Versteeg, Mark Giordano
• Sean Monahan (10) (Power Play), assists: Johnny Gaudreau, T.J. Brodie
• Sean Monahan (11) (Power Play), assists: Johnny Gaudreau, Kris Versteeg
• Michael Frolik (4), assists: Mikael Backlund, T.J. Brodie

Flyers Goals

• Brandon Manning (3), assists: Valtteri Filppula
• Sean Couturier (12) (Power Play), assists: Jake Voracek, Shayne Gostisbehere
• Ivan Provorov (3), assists: Jori Lehtera, Scott Laughton
• Nolan Patrick (2), assists: Jake Voracek, Claude Giroux

The Philadelphia Flyers are currently 0-2-2 in their last four games and are now 8-8-4 on the season. They’re also currently last in the Metropolitan Division. It is not exactly where the Flyers wanted to be in a continuously rough month of November.

Here are five takeaways from Saturday’s game:

5 Takeaways from Flames vs. Flyers

• The Flyers finally got some goal scoring from players that aren’t on the top line! It’s a miracle. Sort of. Brandon Manning had a laser that hit off the back of Mike Smith’s jersey to give the Flyers the early lead. Ivan Provorov and Nolan Patrick also scored for the Flyers. Patrick is the first forward not on the top line to score a goal since Dale Weise’s game-tying goal against the Colorado Avalanche. Patrick managed to break the 3-3 tie in the second period. However, it’s still a problem that most of the Flyers’ offense has been generated by the top line (about 58% of the Flyers scoring has come from Giroux, Couturier, Voracek).

• What might be worse about this game is the Flyers had a two-goal lead at the end of the first period, but couldn’t hold onto it at the end of the second, allowing three goals from Sean Monahan. So, what exactly happened? It was a lot of undisciplined play in the second period as the Flames earned power play after power play. Shayne Gostisbehere earned an unsportsmanlike conduct on the Flyers’ bench, after chirping at one of the officials after a Michael Raffl hit near the bench,. Then, he took another penalty about a minute later for elbowing a Flames player into the boards.

• Holy smokes! The Flyers’ penalty-killing unit was not impressive on Saturday afternoon. The Flames went 3-for-5 on the power play with all of those goals coming from Monahan. Over the past few games, the Flyers’ penalty-killing unit has been one of their strongest units and their overall defense, including the play of goaltender Brian Elliott, who has managed to keep them in games when the offense has been lacking.

• Brian Elliott did not look as impressive as he has been lately. He saved 26 of Calgary’s 31 shots on net but still managed to make some impressive glove saves. The first goal he allowed was a Johnny Gaudreau breakaway. You knew Gaudreau was scoring, there was nothing that he could do to stop that. The Flames’ top line of Gaudreau, Monahan, and Ferland wreaked havoc on the Flyers’ defense and Elliott scoring four goals on 22 shots, a lot of them being some high-quality shots.

• The Flyers had a lot of pressure early in the third period and had 11 shots on net in the final frame, but couldn’t find the back of the net to break the tie. Patrick almost netted his second goal of the game on a good chance, but the puck went off Mike Smith’s shoulder and out of play. Then in overtime, Giroux could not handle a long pass from Ghost and the Flames got a 2-on-1 opportunity as Frolik buried a one-timer past Elliott for the game-winner. Flyers fans sighed in another overtime defeat.

Additional Notes

• Jori Lehtera replaced Jordan Weal in the lineup after he was a late scratch. He was likely a scratch after he was hit by the big man Dustin Byfuglien Thursday vs. Winnipeg Jets. Lehtera was placed on the fourth line, while Michael Raffl moved to the second line.

• Radko Gudas did not play in Saturday’s game as he is waiting for a hearing from NHL’s Department of Player Safety. He decided to waive his right to an in-person hearing with the committee and opted for a phone hearing instead on Sunday. He’ll most likely be suspended for a few games. In the meantime, the Flyers have called up Mark Alt to replace him.

• Can we talk about Sean Couturier though because I feel like we need to? Couturier scored his 12th goal of the season on a power play in the third period. He’s now only three goals away from breaking his career-high (15). I’m betting he gets it done before Christmas.

Star of the Game

Sean Monahan: He scored a hat-trick in eight minutes in the second period, with all three of his goals coming on the power play. Furthermore, he had a four-point day as he earned an assist on Johnny Gaudreau’s first-period goal.

The Flyers desperately need a win and it doesn’t get any easier in the next week as they have a back-to-back on Tuesday and Wednesday. They play at the Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday against the Vancouver Canucks, before heading up to Brooklyn to start their home and home series with the Islanders on Wednesday night.

And of course, the Flyers play their usual Black Friday game at home versus the Islanders on Friday. Let’s hope for some wins.