Flyers lose seventh straight with 3-2 loss to Rangers

Three minutes in the third period decided the game after the Flyers kept neck-and-neck with the No. 2 Metropolitan team, the New York Rangers, through two periods.

With the game tied at two, Chris Kreider put the game away in favor of the Rangers with just over seven minutes to go.

A glance at the scoreboard after the first period showed the Flyers and Rangers tied at one with the Rangers just barely edging the Flyers with eight shots on goal to six. But the reality was the Rangers dominated through the first 20 minutes, and the Flyers were lucky to be on the board.

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They went down early after Claude Giroux went to the box for hooking, giving the Rangers’ strong power play unit an opportunity that Mika Zibanejed capitalized on. The Flyers, meanwhile, didn’t attempt to capitalize on any opportunities through the first 10 minutes. They only took one shot and didn’t record a shot on goal until halfway through the first.

“I think that for the most part, we looked like a team that was a little bit nervous,” interim coach Mike Yeo said.

Oskar Lindblom gave his team a chance to reset when he knocked in a rebound to tie it at one, and from there, the Flyers tightened their game up.

“I think that once we started to find the mindset of getting in on the attack, playing in the offensive zone, really, it only took one or two of those shifts to start generating some momentum for us and then we started to go,” Yeo said.

The Flyers held off the Rangers in the second period, which has been their worst period this season. Both teams killed off a power play and spent the rest of the time trading possession of the puck.

For 37 seconds in the third period, the Flyers held the lead after Cam York scored. But less than a minute later, they gave up the tying goal to Filip Chytil and then the go-ahead to Kreider three minutes later. The Flyers knocked away their own goalie’s stick on the play and weren’t able to recover from there.

With just over two minutes left, the Flyers pulled their goalie. They got just one shot off with the man advantage and fell 3-2.

“Obviously, we know that we need a win and you start playing ... to think about only the win,” Yeo said. “You start thinking about only that result and quite often, you forget about that one little thing that you have to do right at that moment.”

After going 21 games without a goal and only one assist, Lindblom has scored five goals and nine points in the last 15 games.

Against Shesterkin, who has the highest save percentage in the league, Lindblom rushed toward the net with Travis Konecny and was there to get Konecny’s rebound.

“Easy tap-in, but one of those goals you love to score,” Lindblom said.

The goal tied the game, giving the Flyers a chance despite the Rangers’ dominant play. Lindblom, who has been doing the “right things” all year according to his coach and teammates, helped the Flyers slowly improve their play with his performance over the course of the game.

When the Rangers, who have a top-10 power play unit, gained the man advantage, Lindblom snagged the puck and made it almost all the way to the goalie before losing possession. After the Rangers set up again, Lindblom cleared it to help kill the power play and keep the game tied.

To end his first shift of the game, Joel Farabee turned the puck over to the Rangers. And not just any Ranger but to Artemi Panarin, who has 36 points this season and was able to get off a shot on the breakaway. Within minutes, the Flyers lost the puck again.

By the end of the game, the Flyers had nine giveaways. The Rangers also took the puck away six times. Through messy passing and poor decisions, the Flyers not only erased opportunities but also set up chances for the Rangers.

Several of the Flyers’ giveaways set up dangerous shot attempts for the Rangers, forcing goalie Carter Hart to bail out his team. The Flyers also lost the puck after pulling their goalie but managed to avoid the empty net goal.

While the Rangers didn’t play their cleanest game, they were able to keep control of the puck better than the Flyers, who have struggled with execution all season.

Through the five games York has been up with the Flyers this season, his team has commented on his “California cool” demeanor. That calm was broken Saturday night when York scored his first NHL goal, notching his second career NHL point.

Halfway through the third, York took a shot from the left circle. As it went into the net, York flexed his arms and threw his head back, screaming to the rafters. Fellow AHL call ups Morgan Frost and Jackson Cates were on the ice and threw their arms around each other, celebrating for York.

York’s goal briefly gave the Flyers the lead, and his play throughout the game helped the Flyers keep up with the Rangers. York took care of the puck on the offensive end and blocked two shots. He also played point on the top power play unit.

“He continues to impress,” Yeo said. “These are some good teams he’s playing against and some real tough matchups. You look at what he’s doing defensively and how he’s starting to find a little bit of confidence in the offensive part of his game as well.”

By the end of the game, York’s calm was back in place.

“I’m just playing my game,” York said. “That’s what I do.”

The Flyers head to Elmont, N.Y., to play the New York Islanders on Monday. It is the first matchup this season between the two teams.