Flyers come back in 3rd period, pick up OT win over Blackhawks

Flyers come back in 3rd period, pick up OT win over Blackhawks originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Flyers came to life offensively in the third period Saturday afternoon to rally for a 3-2 overtime win over the Blackhawks at the Wells Fargo Center.

Sean Couturier and Noah Cates scored goals to erase Chicago’s 2-0 lead.

Matvei Michkov netted the game-winner in OT on the power play. John Tortorella’s club went to overtime for the fifth time in the last eight games.

The Flyers (9-10-2) snapped a two-game skid and are 2-2-0 on their five-game homestand.

The Flyers and Blackhawks (7-12-2) wrap up their two-game regular-season series in March at the United Center.

• The Flyers’ first line and top defensive pair surrendered the first two goals to Chicago’s fourth line.

They need to win those matchups. It’s no secret the Flyers have struggled to score, they’re not a high-end offensive team, so breakdowns like those become magnified.

But Couturier and Travis Konecny made up for it in the third period to draw the Flyers within 2-1. Rasmus Ristolainen had the primary assist and finished as a plus-2.

Aleksei Kolosov converted 19 saves on 21 shots for the Flyers.

He had no chance to stop the Blackhawks’ game-opening goal in the first period. The Flyers had a 4-on-2 rush that came up empty, resulting in a Chicago counter rush. Cam York pinched on the Flyers’ push into the offensive zone, giving them another scoring option. But the Flyers were one and done and the play went the other way.

The Flyers had only Travis Sanheim back in coverage followed by Couturier. Lukas Reichel buried a wide-open look.

Kolosov made a huge save on a Blackhawks shorthanded breakaway a little under one minute into the second period to keep the Flyers’ deficit at one. But midway through the period, Chicago’s fourth line struck again as Patrick Maroon put the Flyers in a 2-0 hole.

Samuel Ersson, day to day with a lower-body injury, missed his seventh game of the season and fifth in a row. A good sign, though, for his status was that he took the ice Saturday morning at the Wells Fargo Center.

Blackhawks netminder Petr Mrazek stopped 34 of the Flyers’ 37 shots.

• This was the first-ever NHL matchup between the 19-year-olds Michkov and Connor Bedard.

Michkov had flashes in which he created some looks for the Flyers and delivered in OT off a feed from Konecny.

Bedard, who went scoreless, was selected first overall in the 2023 NHL draft. Michkov fell to the Flyers at No. 7. They’ve been linked together going back to the 2021 IIHF U-18 World Junior Championship.

• After missing the last 13 games because of an upper-body injury, York was back on the Flyers’ top defensive pair alongside Sanheim.

To make room for York on the roster, the Flyers loaned winger Anthony Richard to AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.

York came into the lineup for Egor Zamula. The 23-year-old provided a screen on Cates’ game-tying 2-2 goal. It was Cates’ first marker of the season and came on a blast from deep.

Emil Andrae, who had missed the last two games with a mid-body injury, also returned on the back end. The 22-year-old played in place of Erik Johnson and played over 24 minutes.

Jamie Drysdale (upper body) remained out for a sixth straight game. He practiced Friday and skated Saturday morning at the Wells Fargo Center. It looked like the 22-year-old was cleared for contact Friday as he practiced in a regular jersey.

• The Flyers finish their homestand Monday when they welcome the Golden Knights (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

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