Flyers Comeback Falls Short, Seires Heads Back to Pittsburgh for Game 5

Nick Seeler drew the game’s first penalty after being held by Anthony Mantha. So, the Flyers went to the man-advantage first. The power play came up with a pair of pivotal goals in Game 3, but the first power play of Game 4 had no such luck.

Philly got the first real offensive zone possession time of the game, but the only real chance came as the power play expired.

Just under two-and-a-half minutes after the kill, the Penguins got their first power play of the game after a Denver Barkey high stick. Off the draw, the inevitable happened.

Just like in Game 3, the Penguins took the 1-0 lead in the first period on the power play. This one was courtesy of Sidney Crosby (1), who finally got one in the back of the net in Game 4.

Before the first period ended, Noel Acciari pinballed between Garnet Hathaway and Sean Couturier before hitting the ice hard. He went down a minute later, but after the play, Blake Lizotte cross-checked Hathaway and was called for it.

The Flyers got one more power-play chance in the first period, but did not make much of it. After 20 minutes, the game went into the break with a 1-0 Penguins lead, but the Flyers outshot their rival 9-5.

Read More: Flyers’ Keys to Success for a Game 4 Win vs. Penguins

Flyers get one back but still trail after 2

It’s safe to say the start was less than ideal for the Flyers. Dan Vladar came out of the net to play the puck and got no help from his defense, as the Penguins checked hard. Rickard Rakell (1) dove and wrapped his stick around to tuck it in, giving the Penguins the 2-0 lead 1:03 into the period.

Minutes later, the Penguins had a near miss, but Christian Dvorak’s skate stopped the puck from crossing. The Penguins did, however, get another power play after Hathaway was called for tripping up Evgeni Malkin.

That penalty was killed off. But for the first time in all series, it felt like the Flyers had completely lost momentum. This became the Penguins’ game to lose.

They had a chance to gain some momentum back after the Penguins were called for too many men on the ice. The Flyers finally had bodies in front to take advantage of Silov’s rebounds, but Tyson Foerster went wide of the empty net. Philly’s power play went scoreless again.

The Flyers simply were playing without the same edge they had in the first three games. They were doing none of the things that made them successful, and the Penguins were beating them at their own game. It’s as if the roles were flipped.

Crosby drew a cross-check from Luke Glendening, but the Flyers killed off the penalty.

The Flyers needed a momentum swing and got one. Philly’s roommate connection injected energy back into the crowd as Trevor Zegras (3) set up Denver Barkey (1) for the Flyers’ first score of the game.

Before the period ended, Travis Sanheim rang iron, but it did not fall. The Flyers entered the second intermission with some momentum, but still trailed 2-1.

Flyers comeback falls short

A do-or-die third period kicked off with a burst from the crowd, which had risen from the dead.

Just under 4 minutes in, the game went to 4-on-4 after Garnet Hathaway got two minutes for elbowing, and Erik Karlsson got two minutes for roughing. The Penguins extended their lead shortly after. Crosby (2) wins a puck battle and sets up Kris Letang (1) to make it a 3-1 game.

Back at 5-on-5, Travis Sanheim (1) danced around the offensive zone and eventually set up Travis Konecny (1) for a one-time blast to make it 3-2.

The Flyers were back in it, but time was ticking away. They were dumping a lot of pucks into the offensive zone, but struggling to get possession.

Over 9 minutes ticked off the clock, and the Flyers could not get one back. It was the same game of flipping the puck and chasing, and not generating much.

The Flyers emptied the net with just under 2 minutes to play, looking to tie the game at 3 before time expired. Connor Dewar quickly scored on the empty net, sealing the 4-2 win for the Penguins.

What’s next

The series will head back to Pittsburgh at PPG Paints Arena for Game 5 on Monday. A time yet to be announced.

Read More: Flyers History: Record in Game 4s With a 3-0 Lead as They Look to Sweep Series vs. Penguins

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