WASHINGTON – The countdown had already begun but no one can say the Flyers aren’t doing their part to speed up the process.
Prior to Thursday night’s game, Alex Ovechkin needed just eight goals to eclipse Wayne Gretzky’s hallowed record of 894 career goals.
Make that seven.
Ovechkin scored at 14:25 of the first period and that brought his career total to 888.
The Flyers couldn’t quite get a lead after that and suffered their third straight loss, a 3-2 decision at Capital One Arena.
In the process, they nearly broke their team record for not scoring, which is 199 minutes, 43 seconds. But a goal by Ryan Poehling at 5:10 of the third period kept them from that dubious honor. This skid ended at 191 minutes, nine seconds. And then, with 2:36 to play, Sean Couturier put the puck across the line and a call of “no goal” by officials was overturned after a Flyers’ challenge.
Another frustrating night for a Flyers team which doesn’t have anything to play for except pride. They nearly took the game to overtime after a stirring comeback.
“You hope you start scoring some goals,” coach John Tortorella said. “The only way you can get confidence to score goals is to score a couple. We had some looks. We’re just not finishing. We don’t find a way.”
Defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk, brother of former Flyer forward James van Riemsdyk, triggered the Ovechkin goal by firing a shot at Flyer goalie Sam Ersson. Aliaksei Protas then secured the loose puck and fed Ovechkin at the lower edge of the left circle. It was Ovechkin’s 35th goal of the season in just 53 games.
Brandon Duhaime’s goal at 1:56 of the second period gave the Caps a 2-0 lead. Duhaime tipped in a point shot from Matt Roy.
Washington made it 3-0 at 11:06. Defenseman Egor Zamula wiped out at the Capitals’ blue line, setting up a three-on-one the other way. Andrew Mangiapane finished off the play and the Flyers began to look like they were ready to concede.
Goaltender Charlie Lindgren picked up the win for the Capitals.
After losing to Carolina, 5-0, on Saturday and to Tampa Bay on Monday, 2-0, the Flyers still couldn’t find their scoring touch until the third period. That’s when Poehling made a nifty move down low and shoveled a backhander through Lindgren’s pads.
The Flyers hadn’t scored since the third period of of last Thursday night’s 4-3 shootout win over the Lightning at the Wells Fargo Center.
Ersson’s season record fell to 19-14-4.
Poehling sounded encouraged by the Flyers’ late rally. Maybe it will have a carryover effect.
“You feel like you’re doing the right things and they’re not going in,” he said. “Not getting the bounces. Good for us to compete there at the end. Gave us a chance to win there.”
Keep in mind the Flyers’ coaches, talent evaluators and front office personnel are keeping a sharp eye on which players are responding when things aren’t going their way.
“It’s going to test your character,” Poehling said. “I thought we handled it (the early deficit) well. Even though we lost, it showed we’re doing the right things. I thought we were going to come back at the end of the game.”
Before the game, Couturier observed that a tight-checking style, which the Flyers need, is a sign of commitment and maturity. Poehling agreed.
“This group is very tight and I think that helps a bit,” he said. “It’s not going great right now, obviously. I think just having everyone’s back both on and off the ice helps us compete. We’re so young but we’re growing together. That’s where that maturity comes from. We hang out all the time and we just want to do better for them.”
>Konecny still struggling
Although Travis Konecny generated some scoring chances, particularly late in the game, including a two-on-none rush with Matvei Michkov in the third period, there was no reward. Konecny has scored only one goal since mid-January.
Tortorella was particularly displeased with Konecny’s decision to try a back-and-forth with Mickhov. It ended with Konecny banging the puck harmlessly off the side of the net.
“I’ve been talking to him,” the coach said. “With TK, you can see where it’s at. He should have turned that two-on-oh into a one-on-oh. He should go down and say, ‘I am scoring this goal.’ Not get involved in a passing play two-on-oh. That’s where his mindset is right now.”
The coach and player were seen speaking in front of reporters in the locker room after the game. They made no attempt to hide their exhange, which did not appear heated.
“I want him to score that goal,” Tortorella said emphatically. “Not make a pass. Take the ice away from ‘Mich’ and turn it into a one-on-oh. And you go score that goal. That’s the way you’re going to get out of it. That’s the mindset he needs to get back. That’s the player that he is. But he’s not there. We’re having constant conversations right now.”
After a long break, Konecny finally met the media. Other Flyers are also having scoring problems right now, but Konecny is the highest profile of the bunch.
“Just stick with it,” he said. “We work hard and we’re trying. It’s not the effort. It’s one of those things when you’re in that lull. It seems like you’re kind of chasing it. And when you’re not in that, it feels like everything is going to go in. That’s kind of how it’s going.”
>Short shots
The Flyers continue their road trip with stops at Dallas on Saturday and Chicago on Sunday. . .The Capitals have beaten Philadelphia a team-record six straight times.
