The Edmonton Oilers were arguably at their lowest point of the season about 24 hours ago, down 4-2 in the back half of the third period against the Columbus Blue Jackets after a 9-1 thrashing from the Colorado Avalanche. But the magic of Connor McDavid and a lucky bounce allowed them to get to overtime, where Jack Roslovic played the hero against his former team.
One night later, the Oilers got the same result, although their road there was (mostly) smoother. They once again piled around Roslovic after his goal ended the extra session, ending a three-game losing streak for Edmonton in the City of Brotherly Love. Their 2-1 overtime defeat of the Philadelphia Flyers was the result of a sound 5-on-5 performance, but familiar finishing problems. That allowed the Flyers to recover from a sluggish first half to secure a point, but they couldn’t avoid their second straight OT loss.
Game Recap
The game began on pretty even terms, with the teams trading scoring chances for the first 12 minutes of action. But while the Oilers didn’t score on the period’s lone power play, it did help them grab control of the opening period. Shots were 6-5 Edmonton when Nick Seeler took a hooking penalty with 6:17 remaining, but finished 13-5 in favor of the visitors through 20 minutes.
Edmonton’s late-frame barrage also accounted for the game’s opening goal, although it didn’t come from their power play, which entered the night ranked third in the league. Instead, Connor McDavid spun a quick centering pass into the slot to set up an Evan Bouchard one-timer, with the offensive defenseman scoring his third goal of the season just 55 seconds before intermission.
That trend continued into the second period, with the Oilers racking up 17 consecutive shots on target before the Flyers finally snapped a 19-minute dry spell. But after beginning their territorial dominance with a man advantage, both went the other way in the final five minutes of the frame. Owen Tippett used his speed gaining the blue line to draw a penalty, and Matvei Michkov capitalized with a sizzling wrister. After scoring just one goal in his first 13 games, Michkov has now tallied in three straight, a new career-high.
Although it produced no goals, the third period was marked by drama. The teams had a combined three power plays, including one for each in the first five minutes, and another late for Philadelphia when Trent Frederic ran into Dan Vladař. Then, just when overtime appeared imminent, Travis Konecny looked to break the tie with a tip-in in the final 30 seconds, only for Kris Konblauch (a former Flyers assistant coach) to successfully challenge for offside.
When it looked like the Flyers might have a chance to recover, the game slipped away from them. Trevor Zegras made a strong play to jab a loose puck back to Cam York at the red line to maintain possession. But York flubbed his pass and immediately lost his balance, handing Roslovic and Matthew Savoie a clear-cut 2-on-0. The pair handled it perfectly, giving the Oilers consecutive wins for the third time this season and the first since Oct. 21-23.
The Oilers have a quick travel turnaround, with their next game on Thursday against the Blue Jackets beginning just 24 hours after this one started in a rematch of Monday’s 5-4 overtime win in Edmonton. The Flyers do have Thursday off, but they’ll be traveling for a back-to-back of their own, visiting the St. Louis Blues and the Dallas Stars over the weekend before a four-day rest, their longest of the season (excluding the scheduled holiday and Olympic breaks).
