Flyers Power Play Fails Again in Costly Shootout Loss to Blue Jackets

The Flyers needed a regulation win and got everything except the finish in a 2-1 shootout loss that made their playoff path even more difficult. In a game that had urgency, edge, and plenty of chances to steal a win, the Flyers once again got dragged down by the same problem that has followed this team for months: an offense and power play that still can’t deliver in big moments.

The Flyers come into tonight’s game with a 14% chance of making the playoffs, and with the schedule winding down, they have to start stacking wins, and regulation wins at that, to close the gap with the teams above them in the playoff race. The Columbus Blue Jackets were in need of a win as well to stay in the playoff conversation as well, so the stakes were high tonight for both teams.

In the first period, that was obvious because both teams came out swinging. The Blue Jackets lit the lamp first when Kirill Marchenko scored his 100th NHL goal. Alex Bump came back to tie the game with his second goal of the season. The game picked up in intensity, but not in scoring. The score remained 1-1 all the way through regulation and through overtime as well. In the shootout, the Blue Jackets get the win on Marchenko’s triple deke that ended in the back of the net, securing a 2-1 win and, more importantly for both teams, 2 points.

Power Play Woes Continue For the Flyers

Power play issues have been a story all season, and tonight, they didn’t do anything to change that. At the end of the second period, the Flyers had 6 straight minutes of power play time, and nothing came from it, frustrating the 19,645 Flyers fans in attendance. The biggest issues with the power play are poor passing and not winning face-offs. This has been the theme of the season for special teams in general, and this puts the Flyers a beat behind, especially when they have the man advantage.

They are 2 of their last 23 on power plays and dead last in power play scoring in the NHL this year. It has felt like this has been the case for the last 5 seasons, and it appears that no answers are coming anytime soon.

Another huge reason for the struggles is that they’re not getting enough pucks on net. This is an overarching issue for the Flyers this season, but it’s exaggerated when the Flyers have the man advantage. There should be wider lanes, but the shots aren’t coming as well.

Physical Play Returns Tonight

In the second period, the game got physical, and the Flyers didn’t back down, which is a very good thing for a young team that doesn’t have a true enforcer on the roster. That didn’t stop them tonight from pushing back when Columbus started to get chippy behind the net.

Early in the game, Denver Barkey left the bench and was put in the concussion protocol after a scary hit against the boards. He did come back into the game and was in the middle of a couple of the scrums. Carl Grundstrom came up strong as well, picking up a fight after a big hit.

This is something that the Flyers will have to do more of to stay in this race down the stretch. The good sign is that Barkey came back to play and was dishing out hits as well. His teammates had his back as well after the hit that put him in the concussion protocol earlier. In games earlier in the season, there weren’t answers to those moments, but tonight, they showed what they’re made of, and that is a great sign moving forward.

The Great 80 Stands Tall Yet Again

Daniel Vladar has been hands down the Flyers’ team MVP this year, and in tonight’s game, he showed why he has taken this mantle. He stopped 27 of 28 shots tonight, and more importantly, he kept the team in the game in the second period, when the Flyers had only 5 shots on goal. Another incredible game in a season that has been one after another for him. With his performance tonight, his season goals against average is under 2.50, a career low and the best for a Flyers goalie in a long time.

It feels a bit like a waste of a great performance, which has felt like a common thread this season. He played so well, but the rest of the team couldn’t get more pucks on net. On the other side of the ice, Jet Greaves played equally as well and made some incredible saves, but Vladar’s degree of difficulty and number of shots he saw really highlighted how important he is to this team, and just how much of a savior he has been this season. Without Vladar and his effort this season, the Flyers would be nowhere near a playoff team this season. He has truly kept this team afloat when they have needed it most, and that point the Flyers got tonight is squarely on his shoulders.

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