The Philadelphia Flyers blew a two-goal lead in the final 11 minutes of regulation on Saturday vs. the Rangers at Madison Square Garden en route to their 5-4 loss in a Metropolitan Division showdown.

While picking up a point is a positive, this is a game where two points were critical, and holding the opposition to none was ideal.

It was another late-game collapse by the Flyers. They brought a 4-2 lead into the third period, before Vincent Trocheck stuck with a bouncing puck and was able to bring some life back to the Rangers in a pivotal moment.

Then, an ill-timed delay of the game penalty by Rasmus Ristolainen gave the Rangers a much-needed power-play chance. That was with three minutes to go, and Mika Zibanejad took it from there.

In overtime, the Flyers were handed multiple opportunities with a 4-on-3 advantage. How many times does that happen? Not once, but twice, did the Rangers kill off Philadelphia’s overtime power play and push the game to a shootout.

The game could have easily avoided overtime. Even then, it had more opportunities than most teams get in the extra five minutes. But, with Sam Ersson in goal and Trevor Zegras first to go for the Flyers in the shootout, they had to feel good, right?

Wrong. New York scored on both of their first two chances, and Igor Shestirken stood tall vs. Zegras and Travis Konecny. The Flyers lost 5-4 in overtime.

After the game, Zegras and Konecny were sitting in their stalls, going over missed opportunities and what they could have done differently in the moment. Will that change the outcome on Saturday? No, but it’s good to see a team look for ways to improve immediately rather than dwell on a loss.

I don’t want this to get lost in the outcome. Denver Barkey came as advertised. The 20-year-old rookie stood out in his NHL debut and played a great game, picking up his first two NHL points with two primary assists.

Read More: Flyers Can’t Hold Off Rangers’ Comeback, Fall 5-4 on Saturday

Flyers grades in loss vs. Rangers

Denver Barkey: A+

Playing at Madison Square Garden vs. the Rangers, on a Saturday afternoon, in a matinee matchup, comes with a ton of pressure. That is for any NHLer, not just a rookie. Denver Barkey handled himself with poise and showed off the skills that got him the call. He was all over the puck. Barkey was an aggressive checker, displayed great vision, and showed that, despite his stature, he could hang physically with the NHL game. It was not the outcome he Barkey hoped for in his NHL debut. However, the rookie should hold his head high after a game like that.

Matvei Michkov – Noah Cates – Bobby Brink: B+

This comes with no big observations or major statistics – this line works. Without Tyson Foerster, the Cates line seemed to take a step back. The Flyers could not find the right replacement for Foerster to step in on this line. Matvei Michkov has been the best player on this line, so far. And, in all honesty, Michkov looks the best he has been all season on this line. Plus, Michkov and Cates each picked up a point, with each coming as a secondary on the two power-play goals.

Nikita Grebenkin: B

Nikita Grebenkin returned to the lineup for the first time since December 14th at Carolina. It was very clear he was well-rested and had his legs early in the game on Saturday. Grebenkin had made a couple of good plays early in the game with the fourth line and earned a promotion to the top line not long after. Now, he was the forward closest to Trocheck when he scored the Rangers’ third goal of the game. It looked like the shot may have bounced off Grebenkin’s skate. Otherwise, Grebenkin played a pretty solid game.

Sam Ersson: C+

Sam Ersson did not have his A game on Saturday. 23 saves on 27 is not ideal. There are certainly goals given up that the Flyers’ netminder will want back. Trocheck’s third-period goal is the first that comes to mind. At the same time, it’s not like his team gave him much help. Atremi Panarin should not have two wide-open looks, let alone one. He is the kind of player that won’t miss those chances. Ersson did make a handful of big stops for the Flyers, especially in the first two periods, even if at the time it did not feel like it.

Carl Grundstrom: D

It was not Carl Grundstrom’s best game as a Flyer. The forward had a tough start to the game, missing on a few chances and blowing the defensive zone during the play that led to the Rangers’ first goal. Grundstrom was the top-line forward who was pulled off for Grebenkin to move up. He moved back to the fourth line, where he eventually settled down, and played a bit better.

Read More: Denver Barkey to Make NHL Debut with Flyers on Saturday

Observations from the game

1. The penalty kill, without two key contributors, Garnet Hathaway (scratch) and Christian Dvorak (upper-body), did not look that bad. They actually looked pretty good on the first three kills. Of course, none of that matters when the Rangers scored the game-tying goal on the power-play, staining what was a relatively strong performance for the Flyers’ penalty killers. In the absence of Hathaway and Dvorak, Rodrigo Abols (SHG) and Owen Tippett picked up extra minutes.

2. On the flip side, you could see the Flyers making strides on the power play in their previous game against Buffalo. They finally broke through on Saturday. One area where they had been lacking was getting shots. On the power play, sometimes you just need to get pucks on net to create some chaos. That typically comes with shots from the point or high in the middle of the ice. Well, both Flyers power-play goals came from at or right above the faceoff circle. Saturday was proof that getting pucks on net works.

3. It was another instance where the Flyers were a completely different team in the third period than in the first and second. That is a strange thought, considering just a month into the season, it was the first period where the Flyers were struggling. It was two goals allowed in the third period on Saturday. They have allowed seven in the month of December, being outscored by two in the third period this season. The Flyers have 23 goals against in the third period all season.

Next up for the Flyers: A showdown with Rick Tocchet’s former team, the Vancouver Canucks, Monday at Xfinity Mobile Arena, with the puck drop at 7:30 p.m. EST.

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