PHILADELPHIA – Some nights all it takes might be a few bad minutes of hockey to cost a team a positive outcome.
In Tuesday night’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Flyers gave up two goals in a span of 1:44 early in the second period and that proved the difference in a 3-2 loss at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
The Flyers were coming off a three-game sweep of the California teams but the Blue Jackets apparently weren’t impressed. They took their second straight game from the Flyers in less than two weeks.
Philadelphia has not won more than three straight games since February, 2024.
Jamie Drysdale scored with 2:04 to play after the Flyers pulled their goalie but that’s as close as they could get.
They say the toughest game to win is the one after the completion of a road trip and this one had all the looks of that.
The Flyers took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission and their record of 14-0-3 when leading after 20 minutes was cause for optimism. The Blue Jackets, rolling along since January, paid no heed to that number and came away with the win.
This was a particularly frustrating outcome because the Flyers had just lost a 2-1 overtime decision to the Blue Jackets the week before last.
Down 1-0 at the start of the second, the Blue Jackets quickly tied it on a goal by Mathieu Olivier at the 44-second mark. He beat goaltender Dan Vladar with a short-side bullet from the lower right circle.
At 2:28, Columbus took the lead. Defenseman Zach Werenski, who set up the Olivier goal, fired a shot past Vladar from the slot for a 2-1 Blue Jacket edge.
“A good first, played exactly the way we wanted to,” said Travis Sanheim. “We controlled most of the play. For whatever reason, started the second and we weren’t ready. And they take advantage of it.”
The Flyers have had lapses like this before. They let their guard down for a few minutes and the momentary loss of concentration proves costly.
“We just didn’t execute the first five minutes of the second, it cost us the game,” Sean Couturier said. “Other than that I thought we played a good game. Just a bad couple minutes. We turned pucks over. They counterattacked us pretty quick.”
Added Travis Konecny: “We played pretty good. I think there’s a little bit we left out there offensively. Some lines got some momentum but we really didn’t ride it that long. Just regroup and on to the next. We had a good road trip, lost one, we weren’t going to win them all.”
Coach Rick Tocchet couldn’t find fault in his team’s effort, other than the letdown in the second. He also thought his team should have led more than 1-0 after the first period.
“Three-nothing at least,” Tocchet said. “Then a couple mistakes (in the second) and that changed the game. But it should have been three-nothing.”
The Flyers have won just 15 games at home while they have won 19 on the road. Why the disparity?
“You have to get the crowd on your side,” Tocchet said. “Don’t be nervous. Especially the first period, I thought they were cheering for us. We were getting pucks on net, we were getting breakaways. That’s the stuff you get fans excited about.”
Sanheim said the Flyers should take the positives from the road and bring them to their home style of play.
“Just remember what it took on that road trip to win those games,” he said. “And the style of play that is needed every shift. You can’t take one shift off at this time of year. It’s playoff hockey for us. We have to treat it like it is.”
In the third, Mason Marchmont scored at 4:38. His high shot snuck under the crossbar. At first, officials missed the puck crossing the goal line but eventually stopped play. A quick review upheld the goal.
Couturier, who was moved to left wing from his traditional position at center, opened the scoring at 17:07 of the first.
Playing on a fourth line with Luke Glendening at center and Garnet Hathaway at right wing, Couturier finished off a pinpoint feed from Glendening in front. Other than that, goalie Jet Greaves had all the answers against Flyers shooters.
Couturier was asked how much of a missed opportunity this was.
“It is but there’s still a lot of hockey left,” he insisted. “We still believe in our group. We’re going to refocus, get ready for next game, move on and try to get another winning streak going.”
>Michkov’s mark among best
Matvei Michkov scored his 100th NHL goal in game No. 148 at San Jose last Thursday. In the past 35 years, only three Flyers have achieved that mark quicker: Eric Lindros, 73 games; Mikael Renberg, 103 and Simon Gagne, 139.
>Vladar moves up
The Flyers return to action on Thursday night when they play host to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Noah Cates was awarded a penalty shot in the first period but could not convert against Greaves.
Flyers’ highly regarded prospects Porter Martone and Shane Vansaghi will be in action for Michigan State University when the Spartans open Frozen Four action on Thursday, 1:30 p.m., ESPN2 vs. Uconn. . .Flyers fell to 16-17-8 against Eastern Conference teams. . .Flyers’ home record dropped to 15-12-8.
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