Flyers continue to have shootout problems, losing to Winnipeg

February 01, 2012|By Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
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  • Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov makes a stop against the Jets in the second period. Bryzgalov made 20 saves as the game ended in a 1-1 tie after overtime. The Flyers lost in a shootout.
  • Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov makes a stop against the Jets in the second period. Bryzgalov made 20 saves as the game ended in a 1-1 tie after overtime. The Flyers lost in a shootout. (YONG KIM / Staff Photographer )
  • The Flyers' Sean Couturier (14) congratulates Brayden Schenn after Schenn scored on a power play in the first period.

The Flyers' well-documented shootout problems continued Tuesday night at the Wells Fargo Center.

Bryan Little was the lone scorer in the shootout, giving the Winnipeg Jets a 2-1 win and snapping their three-game losing streak.

"Just a little too late to close the five-hole," said losing goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, who stopped the first two shootout shots, drawing a standing ovation from most of the crowd.

The Flyers, who struggled to find their rhythm until the third period, are 1-4 in shootouts this season and 20-38 in their history.

The Flyers' Sean Couturier, Claude Giroux, and Jaromir Jagr were stopped by Ondrej Pavelec in the shootout. Despite being the NHL's second-highest scoring team, the Flyers have struggled to find the range in shootouts. Their shooters are just 5 for 15 this season.

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"We score a lot of goals; we're one of the highest-scoring teams in the league," coach Peter Laviolette said when asked about the shootout woes. "I'm not sure I have an answer."

It was the Flyers' third straight shootout. They split the first two, losing to Boston and beating Florida.

"We have a lot of skill up front, and I don't know if guys are gripping the stick a little too much," center Brayden Schenn said.

The Flyers, who dropped 9-8 and 6-4 decisions to the Jets earlier this season, have lost nine of their last 10 against Winnipeg (formerly Atlanta), going 1-6-3 in that stretch.

"We played good in spurts, but you can't win like that," winger Scott Hartnell said.

The Flyers have not beaten a team from Winnipeg in Philadelphia since 1996.

With 8:38 left in regulation and the game tied at 1-1, Pavelec made a great stop on Hartnell after he took a pass from Giroux on a two-on-one.

The Flyers were given a too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty with 4:18 left, but Winnipeg did not manage any shots with the man advantage.

Winnipeg's Andrew Ladd was alone in front with just under a minute left, but his shot hit the outside of the post as a lunging Bryzgalov stretched his stick across the crease.

The Flyers outshot the Jets, 28-24.

Little broke in alone 45 seconds into overtime and rifled a shot off the post.

The Flyers' best overtime chance came with 13.5 seconds left. Defenseman Andrej Meszaros cleverly maneuvered around a defender and near the left circle, but he fired the shot wide.

Before Tuesday, the last time the Flyers and Jets played at the Wells Fargo Center, they combined for 17 goals in Winnipeg's 9-8 win.

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