PHILADELPHIA – From a statistical perspective, the outcome was almost a foregone conclusion.
The Flyers had won three games in a row and the Anaheim Ducks had lost five straight.
Something was bound to give.
So when the two teams met at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Saturday afternoon, the numbers finally caught up to the home team.
Leading 2-0 after one period, the Flyers proceeded to let the Ducks score five of the next seven goals. That was enough for a 5-4 decision, putting an end to Philadelphia’s recent run of productive play.
A goal by the Ducks’ Tristan Luneau two minutes into the third period broke a 3-3 tie. Luneau fired a shot from the lower right circle past goaltender Joseph Woll. That was followed by a goal from Beckett Sennecke at 7:10.
Then Matvei Michkov scored his second goal of the game and eighth of the season at 8:17 to get the Flyers within one. Going into Saturday night action, he was tied for fifth in the league in goals.
But the Flyers couldn’t get the equalizer, even when the Flyers had a power play near the end of the game.
Although they did have two power-play goals in a game for the first time this season, they still finished the game two-for-seven, which wasn’t quite good enough for coach Rick Tocchet.
“It’s been improving, that’s a positive,” Tocchet said after the game. “We have to keep working at it but I thought the puck movement, there were good chances.”
The coach said the Flyers sort of let this one get away after dominating in the first period.
“I thought we had them,” Tocchet said. “After a really good first. We let them back in the game. We tried at the end.”
Tocchet also said the Flyers took penalties at inopportune times, which has been a tendency this season. When his players take questionable hits, he doesn’t want them to respond irresponsibly.
“There are just some penalties I want us to stop doing,” Tocchet said. “I get it, when guys get hit, if you get hit, so what? Back in the day we used to do all that stuff. I don’t think you can do that nowadays. You know, take the guy’s number, do it a different way. I’d like us to be a little more disciplined.”
After starting the game so well and taking that two-goal lead into the first intermission, the Flyers became unraveled in the second period.
Anaheim started to rally when Cutter Gauthier, a former Flyers first-round draft pick, found Leo Carlsson in front for a shot over a sprawling Woll at 7:38 to make it 2-1.
Then the Ducks tied it. A.J. Greer’s shot hit the right post, ricocheted off Woll’s skate and barely slid across the line at 13:07. The play had to be reviewed before the goal was confirmed.
The Flyers tied it on their first shorthanded goal of the season.
Tyson Foerster skated to the lower right circle and his shot somehow eluded goalie Lukas Dostal at 15:04.
The Ducks, however, had more tricks in their bag and they used one at 16:07. Sean Couturier was slow on the backcheck as Alex Killorn raced in and got the puck to Judd Caufield for a flip over Woll’s pad.
The Flyers connected on a pair of power plays in the first period and that’s a season high with the man advantage.
In a somewhat rare situation, the Flyers wound up with the Ducks receiving a pair of concurrent penalties. First, Flyers defenseman Hunter McDonald totaled A.J. Greer with a check along the boards.
That instigated the Ducks’ Sam Colangelo to go after McDonald.
In the ensuing five-on-three, Michkov sent a screened shot past Anaheim goalie Lukas Dostal at 13:59.
After that, with the Flyers still having a one-man advantage, they struck again. This time, Travis Sanheim rushed down through the left circle and found Porter Martone in front for a short shot into the net at 15:02.
By the end, the Flyers were trying hard to rally but it wasn’t to be.
“You know, we came out hot, the crowd’s amazing,” Martone said. “We’re up 2-nothing going into the second period. I liked our bounce-back in the third but that one definitely stings to blow that one and lose by one goal.”
The Flyers still have work to do on the power play. They entered Saturday’s play 26th in the league at 13.9 percent.
“I think just moving the puck, keeping it simple, getting a lot of shot volume,” Martone said. “l know it’s going to come. I like our tenacity, I like our shooting pucks. Hopefully capitalize on the next important one.”
Noah Cates said the Flyers allowed the game to get away in the second period.
“We didn’t get pucks all the way in,” he offered. “Kind of changed the momentum of the game. They got more possession.”
>Ristolainen back in action
After missing nine games due to a hand injury, Rasmus Ristolainen returned to action. He partnered with Hunter McDonald on the third defense pairing.
>Gauthier still hearing it
Gauthier, the Flyers’ former first-round draft pick who basically talked his way out of town, continues to hear it from the Philly fans. As soon as he hit the ice, the crowd started into a chant which can’t be reprinted here.
>Short shots
The Flyers are off from game action until Tuesday when they play host to the Columbus Blue Jackets followed by a game at Washington on Wednesday night. They will not practice on Sunday. . .To make room for Ristolainen, the Flyers loaned Garrett Wilson to the Phantoms. . .Martone’s multi-point game was the fifth of his career.
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