PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Flyers were just over three minutes away from a four-point weekend in the standings.
Then disaster struck.
A controversial tying goal with 3:03 remaining followed by a go-ahead goal 25 seconds later propelled the Buffalo Sabres to a shocking 5-3 win over the Flyers. The Flyers seemed to have this one well in hand until Jeff Skinner's controversial goal tied the game. Skinner may have kicked the puck in, but there was not enough evidence to overturn the call with Claude Giroux's skate getting tied up with Skinner's skate.
Rasmus Asplund put Buffalo ahead less than a minute after Skinner's goal, and Casey Middelstadt's empty netter sealed the Flyers fate. Head coach Alain Vigneault said this game was one the Flyers were in position to put away before the three-goal outburst.
"It's hard to explain," said Vigneault. "We had that game in total control. We were giving them almost nothing, and we just blew it."
After Shayne Gostisbehere's goal gave the Flyers the lead in the third period, they clamped down defensively and limited Buffalo's chances until the final few minutes. Captain Claude Giroux and the rest of his teammates were stunned as they they watched two critical points in the standings slip away.
"We were in a good position at that point of the game," Giroux said. "Letting them score two goals like that, that just can't happen. It's very frustrating especially with the position where we are in the standings. That just can't happen."
It's one thing to lose a game this late in the season during a playoff race. It's another thing to have it happen by blowing a 3-2 lead against a last-place team, even though Buffalo has improved in recent weeks. Goalie Carter Hart said the Flyers have no choice but to try and put this loss behind them and get ready for Tuesday night's game in Washington.
"It's tough," said Hart, "losing a game like that in that fashion being up late in the game and then blowing a lead, but we've got to get back at it on Tuesday against a good hockey club. We've just got to put it behind us and prepare for the game on Tuesday."
Gostisbehere expressed similar thoughts as the Flyers try to move forward. The Flyers may not come close to catching Boston for the final playoff spot, or they may fall just short in the final week of the season. If the latter happens, this loss to Buffalo will be even more difficult to look back on.
"We had a nice 3-2 lead," Gostisbehere said. "We blew a 2-0 lead and had a 3-2 lead, and we just let it slip away. It definitely hurts right now for sure, but I don't know what else you can do. We've got to move on."