Flames Post-Game: An overtime loss in Philly

The Calgary Flames played a solid, if flawed, road game in Philadelphia on Tuesday evening against the Flyers. They scored first and were reasonably structured defensively, but they just could never muster the go-ahead goal and faded in the third period. The Flames dropped a tight-checking 2-1 overtime loss to the Flyers.

The Flames looked sharp in the first period and eventually turned some zone time in the Flyers end into a goal. Johnny Gaudreau won a battle for a puck in the corner and cycled the puck to Oliver Kylington at the left point. Kylington whipped the puck towards the net, and it glanced off a defender’s leg and past Carter Hart to give the Flames a 1-0 lead.

Shots were 12-11 Flames (10-5 Flames at five-on-five) and scoring chances 8-1 Flames in the first period.

Rasmus Andersson hauled down Scott Laughton – sort-of – in the second period and it led to a penalty shot. Jacob Markström stopped Laughton with the two-pad stack to keep the Flames lead intact.

But the Flyers evened things up later in the period. The Flames got a little scrambly in their own zone and couldn’t clear the puck, allowing Rasmus Ristolainen to feed Kevin Hayes. Hayes double-clutched on his shot and beat Markstrom to make it a 1-1 game.

Shots were 17-16 Flames (11-9 Flyers at five-on-five) and scoring chances 10-9 Flyers in the second period.

Both teams had their chances in the third period, especially the Flyers, but neither team scored. Shots were 14-5 Flyers (11-5 Flyers at five-on-five) and scoring chances 8-5 Flyers in the third period.

It was off to overtime! Cam Atkinson buried a rebound off a Sean Couturier shot (on a two-on-one) to give the Flyers a 2-1 victory.

The Flames were quite good early but the Flyers played a smart, structured game and took over things for stretches, especially in the second half of the game. The Flames had to be good in their own end to prevent the Flyers from winning in regulation (and they were).

Gaudreau was a force on this evening. He had a ton of shots, generated a ton of good scoring chances, and was noticeable and engaged pretty much the entire game.

Markström was very good in net as well.

Honestly, just about any scoring chance they had after the first goal. They just couldn’t bury anything after the opening period. The needed the proverbial “next goal,” but it just never came.

Data via Natural Stat Trick. Percentage stats are 5v5.

Tyler Pitlick returned to the lineup after missing Sunday’s game against Ottawa with a minor injury.

The Flames (8-3-5) are off to Buffalo. They visit the Sabres on Thursday night.

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