Evan Bouchard needed just 47 seconds of overtime to end it, ripping home the winner as the Edmonton Oilers slipped past the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 on Wednesday night.
The finish capped Edmonton’s third straight win and kept the Oilers rolling at 14-3-3. Zach Hyman did plenty of the heavy lifting before overtime, scoring twice to help Edmonton match its second-best start in franchise history through 20 games.
The Oilers also kept a trend intact: they are now 12-0-2 when they score first this season.
Connor McDavid was in the middle of it again, collecting an assist in the second period to push his season-opening point streak to 20 games. That ties his career high, makes him the eighth player in NHL history to record multiple 20-game streaks, and leaves him as just the fourth player in league history to open a season with a 20-game point run. He leads the league with 49 points.
Bouchard’s winner came off a slick setup from Leon Draisaitl, who sent a backhand pass across before Bouchard unloaded a one-timer for his 11th goal of the season, the most by any defenceman.
Tristan Jarry was sharp in goal for Edmonton, turning aside 30 shots to improve to 5-1-3. On the other side, Dan Vladar made 21 saves for Philadelphia.
Tyson Foerster and Travis Sanheim scored for the Flyers, who have now dropped four of their last five and sit at 5-10-6.
Philadelphia did get a boost with veteran defenceman Rasmus Ristolainen back in the lineup after missing the previous seven games with the upper-body injury he aggravated against Anaheim on Oct. 24.
One striking number framed the night before puck drop: McDavid had more points, 48, than the Flyers had goals, 45. Philadelphia has struggled to find offense all season, with only Matvei Michkov topping four goals on the roster with 10. The Flyers had scored just 19 times in 10 road games and had only gone over three goals twice.
The Flyers finish their five-game trip in Columbus on Saturday. The Oilers head out for a six-game road swing, starting against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.
In Other News...
Flyers Just Turned Up The Pressure On Rick Tocchet
The Flyers are suddenly dealing with more than just the usual early-season scrutiny, because Danny Briere has now publicly weighed in on the noise surrounding Matvei Michkov and his reported desire to leave the team. Brieres comments also put a spotlight on the relationship between Michkov and Rick Tocchet, a pairing that has become part of the larger conversation around where this season is headed and how quickly the organization expects progress.
For Tocchet, the message from the front office sounds a lot like a challenge and a deadline rolled into one. Briere made clear he expects the coach to find answers and get the team moving in the right direction, which is the kind of public pressure that tends to follow a team when results are lagging. Even without anything being spelled out, the tone of those remarks suggests the Flyers are watching closely, and Tocchets margin for patience may not be as wide as it once seemed. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Could Hand Mat Barzal The Finisher Hes Been Missing
Matvei Michkovs name has quickly become part of the bigger conversation around the Flyers uneven start, and not just because of what he can do on the ice. Philadelphia has already dealt with a rough opening to the season and growing scrutiny around Rick Tocchet, and now the 2023 seventh overall pick is being discussed in a far more uneasy context, with reports suggesting uncertainty about whether he wants to keep his career going in Philadelphia. For a team that drafted him as a cornerstone talent, that kind of noise only adds to the pressure around everything else going on.
The Islanders, meanwhile, have been floated as a possible landing spot in the kind of speculative scenario that gets attention because of fit as much as talent. Michkovs skill set would naturally invite questions about how he would mesh with New Yorks roster and coaching structure, especially if the Flyers decide his situation has become too complicated to manage. For now, it remains a possibility rather than a move, but it is the sort of storyline that can linger when a young player, a frustrated team and a division rival all enter the same conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Have Two Personnel Developments Fans Will Want To Watch
Noel Acciari was back in full practice participation after an upper-body injury, a welcome development for a Flyers group that has been managing its share of bumps and bruises. For a team trying to keep its forward depth intact, getting a veteran role player back on the ice is the kind of update that matters even before the lineup card is finalized.
There was also a notable off-ice development for the organization, with prospect Brek Liske committing to the University of Wisconsin for next season. For the Flyers, it adds another name to keep track of in the pipeline, while the broader injury picture around the league continues to shift with several players nearing returns and others still working back from longer-term issues. [Read more 🡒]