Flyers edge Connor McDavid and the Oilers in their first shootout win of season

When the Flyers game against the Edmonton Oilers pushed through regulation and overtime into the shootout, the odds shifted in the Oilers’ favor. In the last two seasons, the Flyers had won just one shootout despite one going to 10 rounds. But when Carter Hart made a big save after Morgan Frost and James van Riemsdyk scored, the Flyers secured their second shootout win in two years, beating the Oilers, 2-1, on Thursday.

Through the game, the Flyers looked evenly matched an Oilers lineup filled with All-Stars Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Stuart Skinner. The teams traded long offensive-zone possessions as well as rushes. It was a far cry from the “men against boys” start against the New York Islanders’ All-Star-studded team that John Tortorella described.

“That’s one thing this team has done all year long — they have rebounded,” Tortorella said. “I’m very happy how we played the full 65.”

The Flyers (22-22-9) struck first, with a goal from their own All-Star, Kevin Hayes. Solid defense, especially against McDavid, helped maintain the lead through the first. But McDavid, whom Travis Konecny called “the best player in the world” early Thursday, used the Flyers’ focus on him to set up the tying goal, scored by Evander Kane.

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Zach Hyman gave the Oilers (29-18-5) the lead in the third, but Tortorella challenged the goal for goalie interference and won, sending the game back to a 1-1 tie.

McDavid amped up the pressure in overtime. He burst through the neutral zone on a rush, but Tony DeAngelo managed to keep him from getting a shot off. He took another big shot, but Hart made the save. Both goalies had over 30 saves by the shootout.

Frost, who came close to scoring in overtime, beat Skinner in the shootout, but Ryan Nugent-Hopkins responded. Van Riemsdyk, the third shooter, finished the game, giving the Flyers their first shootout win of the season.

As the Flyers chased the Oilers into their own zone, Scott Laughton got a stick on one of their passes. Travis Sanheim scooped it up, and, suddenly, the Oilers were chasing the Flyers. As the Oilers defense focused on Sanheim, he quietly dropped it back to Hayes, who struck with a one-timer.

“I would say I’ve been struggling a little bit as of late,” Sanheim said. “And I think that’s a big part of my game, in talking with the coaching staff, and something I need to bring back. Probably my best when I’m moving my feet, and a big part of that is joining the rush.”

It worked so well for the Flyers that the Oilers copied the play the next period. A pass from Mattias Janmark set McDavid up for the rush. The Flyers defense followed McDavid, and, with the attention on him, McDavid dropped it to Kane, who was following him up the ice. Kane shot low, and it bounced in over Hart’s glove.

The Flyers got on the board in the first eight minutes of the game, but after that they once again had a lot of the “almost” offense Tortorella bemoaned after Monday’s game.

A perfect pass up through the neutral zone set up Joel Farabee on the rush. He pulled a fancy maneuver but lost it at the last second. Wade Allison won a puck battle in front of the net, but, when he passed it out, Frost’s shot went straight into Skinner. The next period, Allison tried to score on a wraparound, but Skinner just barely blocked it with his stick. In overtime, Frost almost beat Skinner but was shut down.

The Flyers made the plays. They just couldn’t finish them until the shootout.

“Hopefully, that will roll over into some production during the game,” van Riemsdyk said.

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After two periods, Noah Cates was 0-for-8 in the faceoff circle. But Cates, a rookie winger who’s learning to play center, was facing down McDavid. Every other part of Cates’ game was strong. As usual, he played strong, reliable defense. He also took the Flyers’ only shot on their first power play and helped create opportunities for his linemates. But he just couldn’t win a faceoff.

At the end of the second, Tortorella shifted the lines and had Laughton replace van Riemsdyk on Cates’ line. Laughton took faceoffs while Hayes moved to center on the second line.

The lines shifted back for the third period, and Cates went back to the faceoff circle. He finished 2-for-12. But that was his worst stat of the night. His play earned him over 19 minutes and the majority of the shifts against McDavid’s line.

“I don’t think Noah Cates is afraid of that,” Tortorella said. “I think he feels very comfortable in those situations right now.”

The Flyers host the Nashville Predators on Saturday (12:30 p.m., NBCSP).