Brutal loss for Flyers, but knot Red Wings in points
When you’re chasing a playoff spot with 11 games remaining in the NHL regular season, there are a few hard and fast rules a team needs to follow. Such as:
– Beat the teams you’re “supposed” to beat.
– Take advantage when the teams you’re chasing are losing.
– If possible, win in regulation for tie-breaker purposes.
– Don’t, under any circumstances, blow a two-goal lead with 1:04 left in the game while your opponent is shorthanded.
All that considered, the Philadelphia Flyers had a rather terrible Tuesday night.
Oh, they picked up a charity point, giving them 83 with 10 games remaining, matching the total of the Detroit Red Wings, who have nine games left and sit in the final wild card spot. And that charity point closes the gap to the New York Islanders in the other wild card to two points, although the Isles now have a game in-hand.
But if the Flyers miss the playoffs by a point, this is that point.
The Columbus Blue Jackets got goals from Boone Jenner at 18:56, shorthanded:
And then from Cam Atkinson at 19:52, with an extra skater:
To send the game into overtime and John Tortorella into hysterics:
In the overtime, the Jackets had eight shots to the Flyers’ four. In the shootout, Jenner scored in the fifth round to give Columbus the 3-2 win.
The Flyers squandered a chance at a regulation win and two points. They squandered an amazing 51-save effort from Steve Mason, on the back end of a back-to-back. They squandered a chance to pass the Red Wings, who were thumped by the Tampa Bay Lightning, 6-2, in a game that saw Jimmy Howard chased.
And they dropped to 2-8 in the shootout. So many points left on that table, and here was another one.
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