Philadelphia Flyers

Quick Hits: Devastating Finish, Phantoms, Prospects & More
March 12, 2017, 9:23 AM ET [214 Comments]
Bill Meltzer
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DEVASTATING FINISH IN 2-1 LOSS IN BOSTON

It wasn't so much the play itself but the timing and the broader implications: On every team and a handful of times every season, a defender will attempt to block a shot but instead severely deflect it, turning a routine save into a virtually impossible one.

Unfortunately for the Philadelphia Flyers, Brandon Manning's inadvertent own goal on a routine flip shot by the Boston Bruins' Drew Stafford happened in the final 5.6 seconds of a must-win game that had heretofore been tied at 1-1. Instead of having at least one point in the bank with a chance to gain a desperately needed second point in overtime or via shootout, the Flyers were pinned with a devastating regulation loss.

One play is never the sole factor in an outcome, however. The Flyers' continued inability to score goals -- including yet again failing to capitalize on a 5-on-3 power play -- came back to haunt them. They also came out on the wrong end of a too-hasty "intent to blow the whistle" sequence where referee Marc Joannette lost sight of the puck and was in the process of putting the whistle to his mouth as Brayden Schenn forced the puck over the goal line after Jakub Voracek nearly did so.

The Bruins took a 1-0 lead on a first-period power play goal by David Pastrnak. On the sequence, Boston simply outworked the Flyers on a simple chip-and-chase play and Pastrnak scored from point blank range on a pass-out from Patrice Bergeron. The Flyers tied the game at 1:27 of the second period as Jordan Weal scored his third NHL goal. Wayne Simmonds poked at a Claude Giroux rebound near the left post and the puck went over to Weal in front for a tap-in. The goal was challenged by Boston for a reputed offside but withstood review.

The Flyer registered a 25-15 shot edge through two periods (including a 9-4 disparity in the in the second period), but could not solve Tuukka Rask (26 saves on 27 shots) to take a lead. In the third period, Philly generated very little attack and were held without a shot for more than half the final stanza.

Philadelphia wasted a strong goaltending performance by Steve Mason. Making 25 saves on 27 shots, Mason had very little chance at stopping the Pastrnak goal (it would taken a 10-bell save or a mistake by the shooter) and none on the severely deflected Stafford goal.

The New York Islanders lost 4-3 in regulation on Saturday to the St. Louis Blues but both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning won their games. Toronto took possession of the final wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference. The Flyers, factoring their tiebreaker disadvantage, are now seven points off the pace.

The Flyers host the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Wells Fargo Center on Monday night.

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GOOD WEEKEND FOR THE PHANTOMS

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms bounced back quickly after last Sunday's 7-3 debacle in Providence. Over the past week, the Phantoms have since rattled off three straight regulation victories. On the heels of Alex Lyon's 31-save shutout in a 3-0 win over the division leading Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins on Wednesday, the Phantoms went to earn a 3-2 home win over the Hershey Bears on Friday and 4-1 against Utica on Saturday night.

Travis Sanheim has hit the double-digit goal mark in his rookie pro season, after scoring goals in both games over the weekend. On Friday, after helping to break up a 3-on-2 rush in the defensive zone, he scored at the other end after taking a pass a the trailer on a Phantoms' counterattack. On Saturday, Sanheim added an empty net goal for his 10th tally of the season. Considering that Sanheim did not score his first goal of the season until Dec. 9 and that he has only one power play goal to date, it is a nice accomplishment.

On Friday, checking line forward Corban Knight (8th goal) scored the game winning goal with 2:18 remaining in the third period. Earlier, Scott Laughton's 15th goal of the season gave the Phantoms' a short-lived 2-1 lead in the second period. Anthony Stolarz earned the win with 19 saves on 21 shots.

On Saturday, Colin McDonald (22nd), T.J. Brennan (power play, 18th) and Nicolas Aube-Kubel (8th) built a 3-0 lead for the Phantoms. Lyon carried a shutout for the first 53:16 of the game before Utica got on the board. Lyon finished with 36 saves on 37 shots. Sanheim restored the three-goal lead with his empty net goal in the final six seconds.

The Phantoms have the second-best record in the American Hockey League. However, they sit four points behind the Penguins for first place in the Atlantic Division.

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PROSPECT UPDATES

* OHL: Connor Bunnaman notched a hat trick in the Kitchener Rangers' 4-3 overtime win against Flint on Saturday night. In recording his second three-goal game of the season, Bunnaman scored his 32nd, 33rd and 34th goals of the campaign. For an in-depth look at the forward's development since being drafted, click here.

* NCAA: The Bowling Green Falcons won their WCHA semifinal set against Bemidji State University with a 4-3 overtime win on Friday and 2-1 in regulation on Saturday. They will now take on the winner of the semifinal between Minnesota State and Michigan Tech. In Saturday's game, Flyers defense prospect Mark Friedman assisted on an early second period goal that tied the score at 1-1. For an in-depth look at Friedman, click here.

* NCAA: In their NCHC quarterfinal against Omaha, Western Michigan's Wade Allison enjoyed a three-point game (one goal, two assists) and was plus-four in his team's 5-2 win on Saturday. The teams will rematch on Sunday. For an in-depth look at Allison, click here.