A horrible shift to end the extra period cost the Flyers a point as Sam Ersson willed the Flyers to at least one point in a 3-2 overtime loss to host Utah Tuesday night. How a team allows their opponent to score with literally two skaters on the ice is beyond this writer, but then again it’s been that kind of week for Philadelphia.

The basics

First period: 2:02 – Rodrigo Abols (Travis Sanheim)

Second period: 3:32 – Mikhail Sergachev (Dylan Guenther, Barrett Hayton), 4:29 – Tyson Foerster (Sean Couturier, Bobby Brink)

Third period: 8:40 – Dylan Guenther (Barrett Hayton, Mikhail Sergachev)

Overtime: 4:59 – Dylan Guenther (Mikhail Sergachev, Clayton Keller)

SOG: 20 (PHI) – 42 (UHC)

Some takeaways

Simplifying

The Flyers spent a good part of the first period, particularly after getting the early lead, gumming up the neutral zone. More importantly, when they had time in the Utah zone, they worked hard at getting pucks to the net, whether it was driving down to dirty areas for something or tossing it from the point in the hopes of a deflection or good bounce. Facing a goalie who caught with his right hand was a bit different for Philadelphia, resulting in a few more shots on Utah goalie Karel Vejmelka.

In the second period the Flyers looked far more conservative in their play. Despite this they still allowed some odd-man rushes that goalie Sam Ersson was able to stifle. The Flyers, who had roughly a half-dozen shots in the opening minutes of the game, found themselves with just 14 total after 40. Utah, who ended the period on the power play, started giving the Flyers and Ersson fits as it began looking like a shooting gallery.

Ersson back on the horse again

Sam Ersson got a little bit of help to start the game and two minutes in, giving him a rare early lead to play with. Ersson had some action inn the first nine minutes, making some saves that were good but not highlight reel. Ersson made a save on Alex Kerfoot and momentarily looked down on the ice, almost as if he tweaked something. Fortunately he got up and didn’t look hampered at all. Ersson’s best save in the first was in the dying seconds when Kevin Stenlund fed Nick Bjugstad a pass on a short two-man breakaway. Ersson got over, making a ten-bell stop as the period ended.

Ersson’s first goal allowed was early in the second. It could’ve been stopped, but Ersson had just repositioned himself after making a good save the initial Utah rush up ice. It only took seconds for the Flyers to get the go-ahead goal as Tyson Foerster tapped in a Sean Couturier pass to put Philadelphia up 2-1.

Ersson deserved a far better fate on this night, particularly on the overtime winner. It looked as if Utah had made a late change to avoid offside as Dylan Guenther skated in. This left Utah with two skaters on three but somehow Guenther was able to get a great shot that beat Ersson cleanly as time expired in overtime. The netminder finished with a career high 40 saves. And another loss.

Ramshackle roster

After the trade with Calgary the Flyers somehow found themselves down two roster players as Andrei Kuzmenko and Jakob Pelletier didn’t have the paperwork done. On top of that Rasmus Ristolainen, Egor Zamula, Ryan Poehling, and Owen Tippett were out with injuries. The fourth line consisted of Nic Deslauriers (his first game since Nov. 9 in Florida), Rodrigo Abols and Jacob Gaucher (playing in his second NHL contest). So, the Flyers were going to need a big effort from Travis Konecny, Tyson Foerster, Matvei Michkov, and a second big effort from Travis Konecny to get a win somehow.

However, the fourth line (yes, the fourth line) struck goal, er, gold. Gaucher won two battles just inside the Utah blueline led to Abols taking a shot and Deslauriers providing the screen. Abols scored, getting his first NHL goal and thankfully breaking the goalless streak. Gaucher didn’t register a point, which would been problematic for puck ownership as his first NHL point would be on Abols’ first goal.

Running on fumes

As the third period began, the Flyers still had the lead but were getting outplayed, hanging on for dear life and hoping the clock would wind down quickly. Unfortunately, a great Dylan Guenther shot beat Ersson clean to tie things 2-2. After that Utah kept coming and the Flyers valiantly tried to get out of their own zone. It was tough sledding half of the time, leading Utah to pepper the Flyers goaltender to a 20-shot advantage over Philadelphia with seven minutes left in regulation.

It’s normal for a struggling team to tighten up as much defensively as the Flyers did. Yet the Flyers didn’t help themselves. Nor did they get much help from the officials who appeared to miss a few calls. An elbow to Abols was not called. A few minutes later Utah was called for tripping.

Deslauriers decisions O’Brien

Deslauriers and Liam O’Brien dropped the gloves in the first and despite not playing in almost half a season, Deslauriers took O’Brien on and took him down. After some initial dancing, the pair squared off with the Flyers enforcer getting the better of the fight before the two fell to the ice.

One good review deserves another?

The Flyers almost had a 3-1 lead on a goal by Travis Konecny. Unfortunately, the nice play was negated as a replay following a Utah challenge showed both Michkov and Couturier offside. Moments later the Flyers called a time out and tried to figure out if Rodrigo Abols shot the puck over the glass. Abols believed it hit something before going out of play. However rather than ask for a review, be wrong and then have a five-on-three disadvantage, John Tortorella decided to let it go. Utah had one decent shot late in the power play that was otherwise masterfully killed by Philadelphia.

Sanheim a hitting machine

Travis Sanheim had a career high seven hits through two periods and over 16 minutes of ice time. Yet it might have been his big block early in the third that was his big moment. Sanheim felt it but managed to get back up and keep the flyers four-man, penalty-killing unit in tact. Ersson had another key save to make after the penalty to Couturier concluded, getting the puck before Utah could pounce on the rebound to bang it home.

As odd as the amount of Sanheim hits was, Garnet Hathaway hardly threw a body check all night. He threw a good one in the third period, but other than thatt was relatively quiet in his bottom-six role.

Michkov with a good performance

He wasn’t a highlight reel, but Michkov had his moments. In the third period he looked like he was going to try a wrap around goal but instead threw the puck back towards Vejmelka. If it didn’t bounce back off the Utah goalie and in, an approaching Flyer would’ve had a great chance to make it 3-1. Neither happened. But Michkov looked far more active and into the game than some recent efforts. On the power play Michkov’s shot almost handcuffed Vejmelka as there was some traffic in front. The Mad Russian was also out for the full two minutes, proof Tortorella still has ample confidence in him.