Matvei Michkov scores game-winning goal in overtime as Flyers win wild game at Senators

OTTAWA, Ontario — In a game that had a lot go wrong, the Flyers somehow ended up on top.

Struggling to find their structure and identity throughout much of the game, the Flyers came to life and tied things up before Matvei Michkov sealed the deal in overtime. He found some daylight at the right post to give the Flyers a 5-4 win over the Ottawa Senators. They are now 3-0-1 in their past four games.

In the third period, the Senators took a 4-2 lead on goals by Josh Norris and Adam Gaudette. The Flyers were hemmed in before Norris skated in from the left point and scored. Gaudette got the puck and cut to the middle of the ice for a power-play marker.

The Flyers didn’t have much jump in the first 40 minutes but found it in their speed guys. Skating three across, Egor Zamula fed Bobby Brink, who chipped it to Anthony Richard for the quick strike to make it 4-3. Just over two minutes later, it was Richard streaking down the left side and putting a shot on goal that a charging Brink knocked in to tie the game, 4-4.

The Flyers took an early 1-0 lead with some pretty passing. Noah Cates won an offensive-zone faceoff and the Flyers got to work. Off a pass from Cates on the boards, Garnet Hathway got the puck in the left faceoff circle and made a touch pass to Emil Andrae at the point. The young blueliner sent over a quick pass to Travis Sanheim, who put a shot right on net and past Linus Ullmark.

The goal was on the Flyers’ second shot of the game. They only attempted one more in the first period. The Senators put 14 shots on goal, with Brady Tkachuk tying the game at 1-1 in the first period with a shot from the slot after receiving a backhand pass from Norris.

“I thought early on we got pucks in and kind of controlled it a little bit,” Sanheim said during the first intermission on NBCSP. “Then we started to get to the one-and-dones, the turnovers, and their transition was really good. They’re coming fast at us, getting on the attack, and made it difficult on us. We need to regroup here and come back out in the second with a better effort.”

Ottawa put another 14 shots on goal in the middle frame with Drake Batherson potting a one-timer on the short-side. It is the first goal the Flyers penalty kill has allowed since an Oct. 27 game against the Montreal Canadiens. They were 20 for 20 after that goal by Cole Caufield.

The Flyers couldn’t get shots on goal in the middle frame again, putting four on net. But, one got through. Cates made a pinpoint stretch pass to Travis Konecny and he buried the puck for his team-leading ninth goal.

Ivan Fedotov got the start and while he’d surely want a few of the goals back, he came up with some monster saves in the final seconds of regulation and overtime. With 16 seconds left, he stopped Norris’ shot with a toe save and in the extra session, he stretched across for a save on Shane Pinto’s shot.

Breakaways

Coach John Tortorella originally said the Flyers would go with the same lineup as Monday night’s win against the San Jose Sharks, outside of Fedotov starting. But hours later, the team announced Sean Couturier and Sam Ersson were out day to day with lower-body injuries. The Philadelphia Inquirer has learned Ersson’s injury is a small tweak. Morgan Frost took Couturier’s spot.

Up next

The Flyers host the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday at the Wells Fargo Center.