Flyers rally for point, but fall in shootout
PHILADELPHIA >> Despite the eightgame winning streak that went by the boards at Wells Fargo Center Thursday night, the Flyers have found a way to almost shed themselves of what for the past several years has more than occasionally haunted them.
But those stinking shootouts. Historically bad at that madefor-TV way to finish a game, the Flyers have mitigated the shortcoming this season by essentially staying away from it. They would be wooed into the extra-extra session by the Los Angeles Kings on this night, but it was only their third shootout this season.
Extra! Extra! ... the shootout is still a bit of a stinker. Although victory seemed within their grasp at one point, the Flyers still managed to lose on an extended shootout session that translated into a 3-2 loss to the Kings. Falling into the pattern that the likes of Ilya Bryzgalov, Steve Mason and goalie of the not-so past Brian Elliott didn’t enjoy, Anthony Stolarz was victimized by Kings center Tyler Toffoli in the sixth round.
Stolarz seemed beaten on most of the Kings’ tries, though a couple of pucks fortunately went astray. He was also beaten by Adrian Kempe in the fifth round ... though it took a video review to see the puck bounce off the netting just inside of the crossbar instead of on the iron itself.
That replay ended a very brief Flyers victory celebration.
“It made a weird sound, so I kind of had some skepticism,” Stolarz said. “But I didn’t see it, so I was just hoping for the best there.”
No such luck. But Stolarz, while not putting on the best of shows like Carter Hart has unveiled during the streak of semi-salvation, certainly looked good for a guy who hasn’t gotten much work while Elliott, Michal Neuvirth and others have been sidelined by injuries.
Hart had started nine of the prior 10 games. Yet Stolarz, playing behind a Flyers team that didn’t look interested until the second period, still made a game of this sloppy mess.
“I take a lot of pride in that,” Stolarz said. “I’ve kind of been forced into some unfortunate situations where guys have been hurt in the past; MIA’s once or twice and (repeated injuries) with Neuvy. So you kind of get used to coming in cold. It’s part of the job if you want to be a goalie.
“Whether it’s as a starter or a backup you have to be able to come in, shut the door and give the team a chance to stay in the game and get a point or two.”
Making 37 saves, Stolarz did just that. His best moment was an extraordinary, diving blocker save on Kempe with 14 seconds left in overtime to at least give the Flyers a shootout’s chance ... even though they don’t have quite as many shooters for a shootout as most teams.
Stolarz also played solid and steady hockey in regulation, showing again that the combination of him and Hart has been primary in the Flyers’ late-winter renaissance.
“Wasn’t our best game tonight, but Stolie really kept us in it,” Shayne Gostisbehere said. “It kind of sucks losing like that, but it is what it is. We still got a point out of it and we’re still moving forward, taking it game by game.”
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NOTES >> Despite their relatively ugly shootout history, this third shootout of the season was the Flyers’ first loss . ... The Flyers had no penalty minutes in the game. That’s only the fifth time they’ve done that in team history, but second time this season (Nov. 24 in Toronto) . ... Jake Voracek, whose tying goal with just under 18 seconds left in regulation earned the point: “I think it was our worst game out of the last nine. We were lucky to get that one point.”