The Philadelphia Flyers had this one in the bag - until they didn’t.
Up 3-0 early and seemingly in full control, the Flyers watched their lead evaporate in dramatic fashion, eventually falling 5-4 in overtime to the Utah Mammoth on Wednesday night at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. It was a gut-punch of a loss, especially considering Philly had multiple chances to seal the win with the Mammoth net empty in the final minute. But a late goal from Clayton Keller tied it, and then he delivered the game-winner in OT to complete Utah’s comeback.
The Flyers still came away with a point - but it’s one that’s going to sting.
Let’s break down how it all unraveled.
Flyers Come Out Flying
Philadelphia couldn’t have scripted a better start. Just 30 seconds in, Cam York jumped on a rebound in the slot and buried it to give the Flyers a 1-0 lead.
The play started with Travis Konecny feeding Travis Sanheim, whose shot was deflected by Christian Dvorak before York cleaned it up. That early jolt gave Philly immediate momentum, and they weren’t done.
Less than five minutes in, the Flyers doubled their lead. After a brief stretch of four-on-four hockey, Konecny sprung Dvorak with a slick pass out of the defensive zone, and Dvorak finished with a smooth forehand tuck to make it 2-0. Noah Juulsen picked up the secondary assist on the play after making a sharp read to start the transition.
Philadelphia kept the pressure on, drawing another power play just moments later after a Liam O’Brien cross-check. While they didn’t convert, the Flyers looked sharp with the man advantage and carried a 2-0 lead into the first intermission, outshooting Utah 14-7 in the process.
Brink Adds to the Lead, Then the Tide Turns
The second period opened just as well as the first. With Nick Schmaltz in the box for a high stick, the Flyers went back on the power play. Less than a minute in, Bobby Brink cashed in, pouncing on a rebound from a Trevor Zegras shot to give Philly a 3-0 cushion.
But then came the turning point.
Liam O’Brien delivered a heavy hit on Owen Tippett - clean or not, it sparked something in the Mammoth. From that moment on, Utah took over the pace of play. The Flyers were pinned in their own zone, and Sam Ersson was suddenly under siege.
JJ Peterka finally broke through, jamming home a loose puck that looked like it had been stopped. That made it 3-1, and Utah wasn’t done. Just 47 seconds later, Lawson Crouse found space in the slot and buried a feed from Schmaltz and Keller to cut the deficit to one.
The Flyers managed to momentarily stop the bleeding. After Utah was called for too many men, Zegras found Dvorak streaking through the slot.
Dvorak’s first shot was turned aside, but he stayed with it and buried his own rebound to make it 4-2. Jamie Drysdale picked up the secondary assist.
That goal gave the Flyers some breathing room heading into the second intermission, but the Mammoth weren’t going away.
Utah Completes the Comeback
The Flyers opened the third period with another power play thanks to a late high-stick call on Ian Cole, but they couldn’t capitalize. Still, they had momentum and continued to pepper Karel Vejmelka in the Utah net. But Vejmelka held firm, and the door stayed open.
Midway through the period, things got chippy. Jack McBain leveled Drysdale with a big hit, and Juulsen came to his teammate’s defense. The two dropped the gloves, but Juulsen got tagged with the instigator, giving Utah a power play.
They made it count.
Barrett Hayton redirected a Dylan Guenther shot on the man advantage to make it a 4-3 game with just over seven minutes left. The Mammoth were buzzing.
Philadelphia had chances to ice it. Garnet Hathaway had a clean look but held on too long.
Nick Seeler and Konecny both had shots blocked or broken up by desperate Utah defenders. And with the net empty, the Flyers couldn’t find the dagger.
That left the window cracked open - and Keller kicked it wide open.
With just 34 seconds remaining, Keller ripped one past Ersson to tie the game at four and send it to overtime. The Flyers were reeling.
In the extra frame, it was a quiet start until a long stretch pass just missed connecting with Tippett. That misfire gave Utah possession, and Guenther made it count. He found Keller, who buried the game-winner - his second of the night - and completed the Mammoth’s stunning comeback.
Final Thoughts
This one’s going to hurt for the Flyers. They did a lot of things right - they came out with energy, scored early, and got solid contributions up and down the lineup.
But they couldn’t close. A few defensive lapses, some missed chances, and a relentless Utah push turned what looked like a statement win into a painful overtime loss.
Still, they walk away with a point. And in a tight playoff race, every point matters. But if the Flyers want to take that next step, they’ll need to find ways to lock down games like this one - because in the NHL, no lead is ever safe.