PHILADELPHIA – Heartbreak in Philly as the Philadelphia Flyers (0-5-3) comeback attempt fell just short on Tuesday at Xfinity Mobile Arena, falling 3-2 to the Seattle Kraken (5-2-0) in a shootout. The Flyers remain winless on the season following the shootout loss.
Bobby McMann and Ville Ottavainen scored for the Kraken. Christian Dvorak and Trevor Zegras scored for the Flyers. McMann won the game for Seattle in the shootout.
After a pretty rough first 40 minutes of action, a spark was lit under the Flyers. Frustration seemed to boil over in the latter half of the second period, and the Flyers woke up for the third. They were able to mount a comeback and fight back from the dead, forcing overtime.
Despite a Kraken power play, the Flyers were able to push the game to a shootout. However, they were not able to complete the comeback.
Here is how we got to the final score.
Read More: Flyers Game 8: Lines, Notes, & How to Watch vs. Kraken
Flyers Face Early Deficit
The Flyers certainly had their chances in the first 5 minutes, whether they were conventional or not.
There was solid offensive pressure applied by the Flyers, which led to one of their better starts of the season. However, the bar was not set that high.
Porter Martone set up Nick Seeler nicely from behind the net, but the defenseman could not get his stick down in time. Simon Benoit almost broke the scoring with a weird carom off the corner and almost snuck past Philipp Grubauer, who was not ready for it. Owen Tippett started a rush, which led to what could have been an easy backdoor tap-in for Sean Couturier, who could not get his stick on the puck.
They did not break the scoring, but there was good pressure from Philly.
However, the new guy, Jack Studnicka, was called for tripping at 6:35 into the game, putting the Kraken on the game’s first power play. That led to the game’s first score.
Bobby McMann (3) collected a bouncing puck and fired it into the far-side top corner past Dan Vladar, putting the Kraken up 1-0 7:57 into the game. From there on, it became the Kraken’s game.
The Flyers’ season-long struggles returned. They could not complete a pass; the neutral zone was consistently dangerous. The Flyers looked lifeless again.
In the latter half of the period, the Barkey – Dvorak – Foerster line, with the help of Nick Seeler, looked to try a “set the tone” shift, all laying hits, but it did not seem to light a spark.
With 3:08 to play in the period, the Flyers had a chance on the man-advantage after Tippett was slashed by Eberle. Not to use the same word again, but the power play looked disconnected. They could not get anything to go.
That brought the game into the first intermission with the 1-0 Kraken lead, and shots tied at 6 each.
Kraken Lead Grows
Right off the bat in the 2nd period, the Flyers nearly tied the game. But Sean Couturier’s shot bounced the wrong way off the post. The next shift offered another good chance for Philly, but they could not solve Grubauer.
After that, it was turnover, turnover, turnover. The Flyers could not control the puck and kept giving the Kraken opportunities.
Jordan Eberle was sprung on a breakaway, and Jamie Drysdale interfered with him, which gave the Kraken forward a penalty shot. Fortunately for the Flyers, an excellent pad save by Vladar kept it a 1-0 game.
However, that did not keep the Kraken off the scoresheet for the whole period. Ville Ottavainen (1) was skating the blueline when Mackie Samoskevich (1) led him to the slot all alone for the slapshot goal. The Kraken all of a sudden had what felt like a commanding 2-0 lead with just a little more than half the game to play.
In the following minute, Eberle went to the penalty box for hooking Tippett, giving the Flyers another power play. Yes, it was as disastrous as the first period.
Zegras vs. Grubauer
The Flyers had what may have been their longest sustained pressure of the night, which ended when Trevor Zegras was digging for the puck in Grubauer’s pads. Of course, he was immediately met by a swarm of Kraken players, but Zegras was the only player to be given a penalty: two minutes for slashing.
Before that could end, it became 38 seconds of 5-on-3 following a Noah Cates tripping penalty.
As soon as Zegras left the box, he was given a chance for a clean look on goal. He fired the puck in, but Grubauer made the clean save. He then rolled the puck back to Zegras, who immediately skated towards the Kraken goalie with some words. Grubauer punched Zegras in the face, and another scrum ensued.
Zegras got two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct. Grubauer earned two minutes for roughing. Nobody scored on the power play. However, tensions were at a boiling point.
The Flyers were showing fight; it was just the wrong kind. They went into the second intermission with teh Kraken up 2-0, but the Flyers leading shots 18-16.
Flyers Make 3rd Period Comeback
With the anger built at the end of the 2nd period, the Flyers could have built off that for an energetic start to the third period, only trailing by 2. Instead, it was a rather flat period from both sides.
However, a little over 6 minutes into the period, there was life. Oliver Bonk (1) took the puck end-to-end, and while facing the boards, he dished a no-look pass to Christian Dvorak (2), who went bar down to pull the Flyers within 1. Dan Vladar (1) also picked up an assist on the score.
With a chance to build momentum following the goal, it looked to be cut quickly after Jamie Drysdale was called for interference. But just 14 seconds into the penalty kill, McMann was called for holding the stick. That brought on 4-on-4 play.
That’s when the Flyers evened it up.
From the slot, Trevor Zegras (1) got his revenge on Grubauer, tying the game at 2.
From down 2-0 and lifeless, the Flyers mounted a 3rd-period comeback to tie the game. Life returned to Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Philly kept its foot on the gas as time continued to tick off the period, looking for the go-ahead score. Dan Vladar was forced to make a handful of big stops for his team down the stretch. The Flyers’ netminder did just that.
Philly could not get the go-ahead score, but they were able to force overtime. Given how the first two periods went, that was a win.
Overtime
The Flyers controlled the first minute or so of overtime, but were unable to get a shot off on Grubauer. Seattle then had its run with the puck, which lasted about a minute before a shot on Vladar gave the Flyers possession back.
However, the Flyers faced some adversity when they were called for a clear too-many-men penalty with 4 skaters on the ice. That gave the Kraken the 4-on-3 advantage just a few ticks over halfway through the overtime period.
Philly nearly had a shorthanded breakaway, but Sean Couturier’s pass was just a little long for Travis Sanheim. But it killed some time off the penalty.
Seattle went right back to work, where a good look from Vince Dunn found the glove of Dan Vladar.
Ultimately, the Flyers’ netminder stood tall, forcing a shootout.
Trevor Zegras’ attempt was stopped by Grubauer, while Matty Beniers beat Vladar glove side.
Matvei Michkov beat Grubauer through the five-hole, while Vladar made the glove save on Berkly Catton.
Grubauer made the pad save on Tyson Foerster, and Frederick Gaudreau’s attempt was forced wide.
Porter Martone’s shot was saved by Grubauer; Mackie Samoskevich’s attempt was snagged by Vladar.
Denver Barkey’s shot was saved by Grubauer, and Bobby McMann won it for the Kraken, keeping the Flyers winless.
What’s Next for the Flyers
The Flyers go back on the road for a short one-off road trip when they take on the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
Read More: Block Out the Noise: Flyers Remain Focused While Searching for First Win