Tippett’s Big Night Not Enough as Flyers Lose in Shootout

The Flyers got early goals from Travis Sanheim and Owen Tippett, but the Canadiens would storm back and take the lead. But later goals by Tippett and Kevin Hayes would put Philadelphia up, but a game tying goal by Cole Caufield with two second left and a shootout goal by Nick Suzuki would secure the win for Montreal.

The Flyers haven’t won a game win since November 8’s win over the St. Louis Blues, however they have had two overtime losses during their six game losing streak.

Sanheim’s goal, his first of the year, opened up the scoring in the game. It was the quickest the Flyers scored in a game this season; just 39 seconds in. It started with a turnover, caused by Scott Laughton, at mid ice. He advanced the puck up the right side of the rink to Zack MacEwen who tried to feed it back to Laughton for a quick shot at goalie Jake Allen. Allen couldn’t get the rebound. Laughton got it, passed it behind him towards Sanheim, coming up the middle. Sanheim was able to squirt past a sliding Allen and put the Flyers on the board.

About two minutes later, Tippett grabbed a puck on a turnover deep in the Flyers zone, he skated up the left side of the ice and ripped a one-timer. The shot pinged off the post and ricocheted back into the net behind Allen, who had no way to stop it. The Flyers had a 2-0 lead and had yet to play more than three minutes of the game. Things were looking good.

Then the Habs struck back. First, Christian Dvorak scored, about two minutes after Tippett, with a lot of traffic in front of Hart by grabbing a rebound and plunking it in. Then Cole Caufield scored on a deflected tip in shot off of Kirby Dach on a power play to tie it up. About a minute before, a power play goal by Montreal was waived off when it was shown that they pushed Carter Hart’s pad, with the puck under it, into the net.

The game remained tied until halfway into the second period when Mike Matheson fired one over the head of Hart. As had happened so often in this game, the Canadiens fired shot after shot at Hart with the Flyers unable to clear the zone. Effective screens confused Hart as to where the attacks were coming and then….bam….goal. Montreal took a 3-2 lead. So much for starting the game 2-0.

But just four minutes later, Tippett tied it up for the Flyers. A play you don’t necessarily see too often, Tippett shot the puck off the face off. It somehow found its way towards the net and past Jake Allen.

Hayes would give the Flyers the lead at 8:17 in the third period. Philly had two straight shifts of fresh bodies while a tired Montreal team had tried in vain to fend them off (sound familiar?). As various Flyers took long range shots, Hayes grabbed a rebounded one, fired it into traffic, and Allen never saw it coming. The Flyers had, what at the time had seemed to be the go ahead goal.

Until the final two seconds of the game. Montreal playing with the empty net began to tee off on Hart. Again, the Flyers couldn’t clear it. The Habs kept feeding the puck to Caufield. With time running out, Nick Suzuki sent another one to Caufield who one-timed it past a sliding Hart for his second of the night. Game tied. And with no score in overtime, it went to a shootout.

The Flyers were stymied on all three of their shootout attempts. As for the Canadiens, Suzuki took a rather windy path down the ice, deked out Hart, and flipped the puck in for the win. The Flyers may have lost, but at least they came out of this one with a point.

Hart stopped 28 of the 32 shots he faced. With the exception of the last goal, most of the ones scored against him had come with effective screens or lots of traffic in front of him. If the Flyers defense is going to get better, they are going to have to start cleaning out the people in front of him.

Tippett led the way for Philly with two goals. Sanheim had a goal and an assist while Zack MacEwen had two assists. Tippett has a point now in five straight games.

The Flyers also played without Travis Konecny, who is injured and could be out for a while. Adding more injuries to insults, Scott Laughton took a big hit in the third period and did not return. He is still being evaluated.

Philly could’ve used this win. This is a tough week ahead after they return home to play Calgary, travel to Washington, return home for Pittsburgh, and then go to Long Island. It’s a week of divisional foe play, minus Calgary.