Offsides called back a game winner for the Flyers, and Jack Roslovic won the game for the Oilers in overtime.
Feb 22, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) shoots the puck against Philadelphia Flyers right wing Garnet Hathaway (19) in the second period at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
After what would have been a game-winning goal from Travis Konecny was called back for offsides with 23 seconds remaining, the Oilers stole an overtime win in Philadelphia by a score of 2-1. While the Oilers dominated for large stretches of the game, the Flyers nearly came away with an impressive win over the back-to-back Western Conference champs, but had to settle for a point on Wednesday night.
First period: 19:05 – Evan Bouchard (Connor McDavid, Matthew Savoie)
Second period: 15:38 – Matvei Michkov (Cam York, Travis Konecny) (PPG)
Third period: No scoring
Overtime: 1:19 – Jack Roslovic (Savoie)
SOG: 32 (EDM) – 21 (PHI)
The Flyers continue to badly lose shot battle
At their best, the Oilers can really impose their style of play on the opposition, and that’s exactly what happened in the first half of this game. The fast-paced, high-skilled hockey that the Oilers make opponents play was no different tonight, as the Flyers and Oilers traded chances throughout the opening period of this game. At about the 10-minute mark of the game, though, the Oilers just completely took control and didn’t look back from a shot-attempts standpoint.
Further, the Flyers had a mere six shots on goal at the halfway point of regulation, and finished with only 31 shots on goal. From a pure shot-attempts standpoint, the Oilers carried almost 58 percent of the shot-attempts in the game at 5-on-5. It’s been said so many times early this season, but the Flyers’ inability to create consistent offensive zone pressure is a problem. It really just might be that the backbone of Tocchet’s system is defensive zone play, but the rate of Flyers shot attempts feels unsustainable. Well, it’s an unsustainable recipe for success, unless Dan Vladar continues to play at this high a level…
Dan Vladar keeps the Flyers afloat, again
From halfway through the first period to the halfway mark of regulation, the Oilers completely tilted the ice in Dan Vladar’s direction. As he’s done throughout the early goings of the season so far, Vladar was impressively sturdy in net. When a goaltender gives you 30 saves on 32 shots, good for a .937 SV%, you have a darn good chance of winning a hockey game. Outside of the Evan Bouchard goal late in the first, Vladar was the reason the Flyers stayed in the game, even if the Oilers didn’t test Vladar with a ton of high-danger chances. There was a massive save on Vasily Podkolzin on a 2-on-1 rush in the first period, but that was probably the most dangerous chance that the goaltender faced all night. He also faced a difficult shot from Connor McDavid late in the third, and was absolutely barreled into by an Oiler with 6 minutes to go. To Vladar’s credit, he got up from that scrum angry at the Oilers, and appeared perfectly fine. Scrappy, good stuff from the Flyers new goaltender.
Matvei Michkov ties the game
In these types of games against high-end teams, the Flyers need to capitalize on their chances when they get them. Tonight, on a power play late in the second period, Michkov was able to accomplish that, tying the game on a shot from the circle. With the goal, Michkov has now scored in three consecutive games and is up to 9 points in 16 games so far.
Beyond the goal, we’re getting closer and closer to the second-year winger returning to form. He had some real jump tonight and was one of the main catalysts for the Flyers offense all game. Michkov is consistently clocking 15-16 minutes of ice time, and that number might increase a bit more as he continues to ramp up his level. Compared to where we were a week or two ago, there’s a real sense that Michkov is about to go on some kind of scoring run.
Flyers lull Oilers into their style in second half of game
After the Michkov goal, the Flyers successfully pulled Edmonton into the low-event, Rick Tocchet hockey that has been the story of the season so far. The Flyers are doing some pretty impressive stuff in the defensive and the neutral zone, and they continue to be one of the toughest teams in the league to score against.
Although Tocchet’s teams in Vancouver and Arizona played a similar low-event hockey, there should be some sort of leash for the Flyers to gain some offensive zone consistency in the early parts of his tenure. Theoretically, it takes until January-February for a team to fully adjust to a coach’s system, and there should be some leniency on the shot totals until that point. In the meantime, the Flyers can win playing this type of hockey, even if it’s kind of a pain to watch on a shift-by-shift basis. Keeping the high-flying Oilers to 2.28 expected goals (via Natural Stat Trick) can absolutely be a recipe for success, especially when it’s replicated against much lesser competition. Low-event hockey combined with Vladar’s consistency certainly has the potential to make the Flyers a playoff team, even if that’s not the most fun way to get there.
Owen Tippett takes a win off the board
Speaking of not fun stuff, Owen Tippett made an awful gaffe at the end of regulation. Travis Konecny scored what he thought was a game winner on a deflection with 23 seconds left, but the league initiated review found Tippett to be offside on the play. This wasn’t a mere matter of inches, where Tippett just couldn’t drag his skate on the blueline. Instead, Tippett was camped just inside the blueline, stationary as Konecny straightline skated the puck in. The play was definitively offside, and a pretty bad mental mistake from Tippett, in terms of positional awareness on the ice.
Matvei Michkov ties the game
In these types of games against high-end teams, the Flyers need to capitalize on their chances when they get them. Tonight, on a power play late in the second period, Michkov was able to accomplish that, tying the game on a shot from the circle. With the goal, Michkov has now scored in three consecutive games and is up to 9 points in 16 games so far.
Beyond the goal, we’re getting closer and closer to the second-year winger returning to form. He had some real jump tonight and was one of the main catalysts for the Flyers offense all game. Michkov is consistently clocking 15-16 minutes of ice time, and that number might increase a bit more as he continues to ramp up his level. Compared to where we were a week or two ago, there’s a real sense that Michkov is about to go on some kind of scoring run.
Flyers lull Oilers into their style in second half of gam
After the Michkov goal, the Flyers successfully pulled Edmonton into the low-event, Rick Tocchet hockey that has been the story of the season so far. The Flyers are doing some pretty impressive stuff in the defensive and the neutral zone, and they continue to be one of the toughest teams in the league to score against.
Although Tocchet’s teams in Vancouver and Arizona played a similar low-event hockey, there should be some sort of leash for the Flyers to gain some offensive zone consistency in the early parts of his tenure. Theoretically, it takes until January-February for a team to fully adjust to a coach’s system, and there should be some leniency on the shot totals until that point. In the meantime, the Flyers can win playing this type of hockey, even if it’s kind of a pain to watch on a shift-by-shift basis. Keeping the high-flying Oilers to 2.28 expected goals (via Natural Stat Trick) can absolutely be a recipe for success, especially when it’s replicated against much lesser competition. Low-event hockey combined with Vladar’s consistency certainly has the potential to make the Flyers a playoff team, even if that’s not the most fun way to get there.
Owen Tippett takes a win off the board
Speaking of not fun stuff, Owen Tippett made an awful gaffe at the end of regulation. Travis Konecny scored what he thought was a game winner on a deflection with 23 seconds left, but the league initiated review found Tippett to be offside on the play. This wasn’t a mere matter of inches, where Tippett just couldn’t drag his skate on the blueline. Instead, Tippett was camped just inside the blueline, stationary as Konecny straightline skated the puck in. The play was definitively offside, and a pretty bad mental mistake from Tippett, in terms of positional awareness on the ice.
Oilers capitalize on York’s mistake, win in overtime
In what was probably Cam York’s worst play of an otherwise breakout season for the defenseman, York made a brutal turnover just across his own blueline in overtime. Completely whiffing on a loose puck, the turnover gave the Oilers a 2-on-0 on Vladar, and Vladar had no chance on Roslovic’s game winner. The mistake feels much more forgivable than Tippett’s offsides, especially considering the trajectory of the two players so far this year. Either way, it’s a second consecutive overtime loss for the Flyers, and they now head out to St. Louis and Dallas for a back-to-back slate on Friday-Saturday.
“We’ve got to be better, plain and simple. There’s no excuse for where we are right now. We need to hold ourselves accountable and make the necessary changes, because this isn’t acceptable.”
— Alex Tuch, Buffalo Sabres Forward
Buffalo Sabres fans, brace yourselves: change is coming. After yet another brutal defeat — a 5-2 loss to Utah followed by a 6-2 drubbing by the Colorado Avalanche — it’s clear that this team is nowhere near the contender they were supposed to be this season. And for fans who’ve waited 14 years for a playoff spot, the latest string of losses is a hard pill to swallow. With Buffalo’s record now at a dismal
Sabres in Crisis Mode: A Season on the Brink
The loss to the Avalanche capped off a disastrous five-game losing streak, with
The truth is, the Sabres have been in this situation for far too long. The fans are fed up, and even the players are starting to admit what’s been painfully obvious:
The End of the Line for Adams and Ruff?
At this point, there is no denying that accountability must fall on both
As Tuch stated, “There’s no excuse for where we are right now.” The Sabres have been left behind in a rapidly advancing NHL, and with another playoff-less season on the horizon, it’s time for ownership to act.
The Roster Shake-Up: Who’s Safe and Who’s Not?
But it’s not just the front office and coaching staff that needs to change. With this current Sabres team showing no signs of getting it together, nearly
The Sabres need to shed their past — and that means moving out players who aren’t contributing to the rebuild. It’s a painful reality, but every player needs to be held accountable for this team’s continued failure. It’s no longer about potential or promises — it’s about delivering results, and if you’re not part of the solution, you’ll be part of the problem.
Buffalo’s Road to Redemption: How to Fix the Sabres?
So, what now for Buffalo? The road to redemption starts with tough decisions. Kevyn Adams will need to make bold moves to reshape the roster, bringing in fresh talent to bolster the lineup. The Sabres’ defense needs a complete overhaul, and the goaltending situation is looking more desperate by the day. The team can no longer afford to let mediocrity slip by — it’s time to build a playoff-caliber team, and the clock is ticking.
This won’t be an easy fix, but with the right moves, Buffalo could finally start to dig itself out of this hole. The fans deserve a competitive team, and the Sabres owe it to themselves to deliver.
Can the Sabres Turn It Around?
There’s no sugar-coating it — the Sabres’ current path is not sustainable. Another year of misery for Buffalo fans will simply not do. As the Sabres face the harsh reality of their worst season in recent memory, one thing is clear: the status quo cannot continue. The front office and coaching staff need to make bold, immediate changes. The future of the Buffalo Sabres depends on it.
The time for change is now — and for the first time in years, it feels like the Sabres have no choice but to start fresh.