Its time to play the music, its time to light the lights!

This is the first of your submissions for future Flyers hockeybuzz blogger that I am posting and I really like it! Understand that this was written a week ago and is about the Flyers/Sharks game, but I like the style! This is such a great community it only feels right that you all are a part of this process. Let us know what you think in the comments, and thank you KEN!

There is still time to put your best foot forward. Just email a story to me with "Flyers" in the subject to eklund at Hockeybuzz.com

Flyers Avoid the Jaws of Defeat, Beating the Sharks in OT
by Ken

In what was an entertaining game at Wells Fargo, the Flyers blew a 3-0 lead and rode an outstanding four-on-three penalty kill, thanks to three point blank saves by goalie Samuel Ersson, including one on Celebrini to start overtime. The game had the drama of the first meeting between the two front-runners for the Calder, Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks and Matvei Michkov of the Flyers, and neither disappointed with Michkov taking round one on the scoresheet. with a breakaway goal and an assist on a powerplay goal. The Flyers came out like a house of fire, scoring within the first two minutes of the opening period on a great rush involving Anthony Richard and an even better finish by defenseman Eric Johnson.

Anthony Richard continues to impress. His speed adds an element to the team that is noticeably absent when he is not in the lineup. Eric Johnson wasn't done, as later in the first period he would come to the defense of Michkov, and drop the gloves with Givani Smith. Johnson hung on for dear life, but it was a gutsy move by a classy veteran and one I am sure did not go unnoticed by his teammates and was greatly appreciated by Flyer fans. Travis Konecny would score a powerplay goal to close out the scoring in the first period. It was a great feed, started by Emil Andrae, who is quarterbacking the first powerplay unit in Jamie Drysdale's absence. The tic-tac goal went Andrae to Michkov, to Konecny, who buried this one. Konecny had numerous chances throughout this game, but must have been wearing Nick Delaurier's gloves, because he just couldn't capitalize on his others.

Konecny was not the only one. The Flyers could have easily been up 4-0 after the first had they had better puck luck. I know Vitek Vanecek ended the game with 39 saves, but few of them were dynamic saves. The Flyers had him out of position several times but did not finish.
The second period continues to be the killjoy period for the Flyers. They were outscored 2-1 in this game and are minus 17 in second periods for the season so far. Totally unacceptable and a total 180 from last year. The second period last year was a good period for the Flyers, but for some reason any mistake or fortuitous bounce that the opposition gets ends up in the back of the net this year. If the Flyers have any aspirations of making the playoffs, they need to figure this out.

The highlight of the period for the Flyers was a great stretch pass from Ryan Poehling, who was also returning to the lineup after being scratched, to Michkov, and he went in all alone on a breakaway and he did not miss. I know we get mesmerized by the other world passes he makes, but do not underestimate his shot. His shot is exceptional and will only get better as he continues to develop. If Tortorella isn't scratching him two out of every fifteen games, this kid has a shot at a seventy-point season, as he has 12 points in 14 games. If he would play with a dynamic center, he would have a shot at Mikael Renberg's 82-point rookie season Flyer record. The Flyers held a one goal lead entering the third, but give credit to this Sharks team, they would not go away, and with about five minutes left in the game, their resiliency was rewarded with a Barclay Goodrow goal off a puck that was deflected and found its way to him and he rammed it home. Overtime yielded exciting chances for both teams, even though most of it was a Sharks powerplay and then subsequent four on four time as there were no stoppages until about a minute of overtime was left.

The three-on-three was uneventful as it seemed like the Sharks wanted to get to a shoot-out. Ersson was perfect in the shoot-out, including stopping Celebrini, while Michkov and Konecny scored for the Flyers. Konecny, using a move that has worked two out of the last three games, where he drags the puck across the front, left to right and then shoots the puck back against the flow over the goalie's glove. It is a great move. Overall, the Flyers dominated a good portion of this game offensively, especially generating chances off the rush which has been getting better these last four games. But they are still having trouble finishing their chances and turned this game into a much harder game than it had to be by coughing up a 3-0 lead.

Notes: Macklin Celebrini is as good as advertised. He possesses all the skills to go along with mercurial speed. He did a great spin-o-rama in the third period that Ersson had to make a tough save on to preserve the lead at the time. He was held scoreless but was dangerous almost every shift he was on the ice. He ended the night with five shots on goal. Emil Andrae has been terrific since he was called up. Tonight, he was the Flyers best defenseman, making heady plays to get the puck out of the zone, on the money first passes, taking numerous rushes up the ice, and working magic on the powerplay. If he sustains this level of play, he will not come out of the lineup. Zamula may be the odd man out when Drysdale gets healthy.
Thanks for reading!

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