In a matchup between Matvei Michkov and Connor Bedard, the Russian rookie sensation finished the game with the overtime winner to complete the 3-2 comeback victory for the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Blackhawks jumped to a 2-0 lead after goals from Lukas Reichel and Patrick Maroon before the Flyers scored 2 goals in 2:38 in the middle of the third period to force overtime – off the sticks of Sean Couturier and Noah Cates.
Travis Konecny then drew a penalty in overtime before setting up Michkov for the winner just 26 seconds later – his 2nd assist of the game.
Aleksei Kolosov looked shaky to start the game, allowing 2 goals on his first 10 shots, but was able to weather the storm and keep his team in the game, to earn his first career NHL victory. Meanwhile, Petr Mrázek did as good job as any with his 34-save performance that was almost enough to secure the victory for his team.
Looking to getting back on the winning track, the Flyers’ homestand welcomed Connor Bedard and the Blackhawks for a matinee affair.
The Flyers welcomed back Cam York and Emil Andrae from injuries in lieu of Egor Zamula and Erik Johnson, Morgan Frost reentered the lineup, Anthony Richard was sent to the minors due to York’s IR activation, and Aleksei Kolosov earned the start as he looked for his first career victory.
As for the Blackhawks, they entered with a 7-12-1 record but pulled out a surprising 3-1 victory over the Florida Panthers in their most recent contest – that also snapped a 3-game losing streak.
Connor Bedard paced the club with 12 assists and 15 points in 20 games, Ryan Donato followed with a team-high 8 goals to go along with 3 assists, and Seth Jones and Teuvo Teräväinen rounded out the top-3 with 10 points. Former Flyers goaltender Petr Mrázek earned the start, looking to improve on his 6-8-1 record, .911 SV% and 2.66 GAA.
FIRST PERIOD
2:19 into the game, York was handed the game’s opening penalty for a holding minor, sending the 13th ranked power play onto the ice. Both teams traded fantastic scoring chances end-to-end as Connor Bedard rang the post off the rush before Travis Konecny and Scott Laughton barreled down on a 2-on-1 with the latter being robbed on his one-time chance and the former getting stoned on the rebound.
The Flyers came right back down the gullet after the penalty was killed with chances from Matvei Michkov, Konecny, and Laughton, but Mrázek had all the answers.
After the Flyers fumbled a 4-on-2 opportunity, the Chicago Blackhawks went the other way and scored the game’s opening goal on their 3-on-2. Patrick Maroon waited patiently before he found Lukas Reichel with a saucer-pass for the one-time finish at the 11:29 mark.
The period ended with the Blackhawks taking a hooking minor, courtesy of Nolan Allan. The Flyers had a strong period with a 10-7 advantage in shots, had several odd-man rushes, but allowed just as many against, and Kolosov looked a little out of sorts to start the game.
SECOND PERIOD
Although they started the period with a power play, the Blackhawks were the ones with more offensive juice as Ilya Mikheyev was robbed on a shorthanded breakaway and missed on his second-chance opportunity. The Flyers fired no shots on goal during the man advantage and slumped to 3 for their last 35.
The Flyers were afforded with another opportunity as Allan returned to the box for a cross-checking minor at the 2:40 mark. While they generated one shot on goal, the Flyers power play had no real danger element early on in this one – 3 for their last 36.
While the Flyers continued to pepper Mrázek, the Blackhawks were opportunistic in the sense that they took a 2-0 lead on their 10th shot compared to the Flyers’ 20. Maroon backhanded his attempt off the arm of Kolosov and in – who was perhaps anticipating a pass to Reichel again – at the midway mark of the period for his first of the year.
Joel Farabee had an odd-man rush that was stopped, Sean Couturier had an open cage but his one-time opportunity was deflected by Mikheyev, and Tyson Foerster’s one-timer into an open net was blocked by Alec Martinez. Unfortunately, despite all the chances, the Flyers entered the second intermission down 2-0 with a 24-13 edge in shots, which included a 13-2 advantage in high-danger chances.
THIRD PERIOD
Snakebitten all year – and in this game – Couturier got the Flyers on the board with 12:33 remaining in regulation. After winning the offensive zone draw, the Flyers quickly set up and Konecny found Rasmus Ristolainen driving to the net before he fed Couturier for the tap-in all alone for his 4th of the season and first in 12 games.
2:38 later, Noah Cates’ point shot with a mass of bodies in front tied the game. Bobby Brink, who had been extremely noticeable all game, made a great play entering the zone with speed before setting up Cates at the point for his first goal of the season and first in 18 games dating back to last year.
30 seconds later, Ristolainen came within inches of giving the Flyers a lead but his wrap-around attempt was somehow stopped by the paddle of Mrázek.
The Flyers had a strong 60-minute effort today – 36 to 21 edge in shots – and were rewarded with 2 goals in the third period to send this game to overtime. They created several chances after Cates’ tying goal but Mrázek was able to weather the storm.
OVERTIME
After a great opening shift from Konecny, Michkov, and Travis Sanheim, they were able to draw a holding penalty on Alex Vlasic only 39 seconds into the 3-on-3 session.
26 seconds into the power play, Michkov sent the fans home happy after finishing off the one-time opportunity set up by Konecny. The Russian rookie played pitch and catch with Sanheim before they found Konecny at the side of the net to set up the streaking Michkov for his 7th of the season.
UP NEXT
The Flyers host the Pacific-leading Vegas Golden Knights on Monday night (7:00pm; NBCSP) as they continue their homestand.
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