The Philadelphia Flyers (14-22-8) were looking to end the miserable run they have been on as of late against a red hot Los Angles Kings (22-16-7). Let's see how they faired in the bout.
The Flyers look slow coming out of the gate in the first period as they were just simply getting out-skated in the first couple of minutes of play. A big hit from Issac Ratcliffe jolted the Flyers into action and they would answer the call from the man making his debut.
Rasmus Ristolainen would carry the puck into the offensive zone and would find a wide-open Gerry Mayhew who promptly buried the puck into the back of the net.
Mayhew has been playing well for the Flyers since being called up for the big club. This tally would be Mayhew's third tally as a Flyer in 11 games this season.
The Flyers would maintain good play for the rest of the period and would take a one-goal lead into the first intrmission.
Into the second period, we go as the Flyers stayed on track for the first half of the period. Carter Hart looked so good in this game, making the saves he needed to make.
The Kings tried the old bouncing puck play early in the second period but Hart was ready for it and made another good save.
Then around halfway through the second period, the Flyers would try their own bouncing puck play and Jonathan Quick wasn't quick enough to stop it. The captain Claude Giroux sent a bouncing puck towards Quick and Quick would make the initial save but Cam Atkinson would bury the rebound to get his 16th of the season.
The kings would answer late in the second period with a goal of their own to make the game 2-1 going into the second intermission.
The third period was a wild one, to say the least. It was a little bit of back and forth action between the two teams with both sides trading checks with each other. But as the period was dwindling down Oskar Lindblom would get called for a soft penalty that the crowd did not agree with. The Flyers were on the penalty kill.
But you what they say, the puck does not lie, as the Flyers would clear the puck out to Cam Atkinson who speedily got to the puck and put it behind Quick for the short-handed goal and the Flyers would take a 3-1 lead.
It was a gorgeous goal from Cam Atkinson and the Flyers looked to be in the clear to end the 13 game skid but the Kings said not so fast.
Roughly 25 seconds later the kings would get a goal back on the Lindblom minor penalty and the Kings would cut the deficit two one goal again.
Carter Hart would make a couple more clutch saves to preserve the lead heading into the final minutes of the game but with around 2:27 left on the clock and the puck in the offensive zone, the Kings pulled the goaltender.
With an extra skater on the ice, it was up to the Flyers to put the game away with an extra skater on the ice. After a couple of great saves from Hart and the clock going below a minute, a mad dash would start in front of the net from a shot from the point and an unmarked man in front of the net would tie the game up for the Kings with 37.4 seconds to play in regulation. There was nothing Hart could do about that shot. The Flyers would have to go to overtime.
In overtime, however, it was all Flyers from here on out. The Kings had one good chance but Hart would make the save. The Flyers were breathing down the king's throats in the overtime period and the grit that this team had paid off. Scott Laughton would bury the puck into the back of the net from an Atkinson shot and the game was over!
The Flyers finally did it! They get a win in 2022 and break the 13 game losing streak they have been on. Issac Ratcliffe really impressed me today on his debut. he was a force out there and I really look forward to seeing what he can do for the orange and black.
Now, the Flyers will look to go on a 2 game winning streak as they will welcome the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night.