Flyers collapse, suffer crushing OT loss to Hurricanes

They should have felt good about themselves. They should have been able to revel in how their goaltender played brilliantly and Scott Hartnell notched his first point of the season. Instead, the Flyers' heads hung low -- again -- Tuesday night after a 2-1 overtime loss to the Hurricanes in which a blown coverage assignment led to a tying goal in the final minute of regulation and a check cost them dearly in overtime.

Carolina is one of those banged-up clubs the Flyers should have beaten. No Jeff Skinner in the lineup. No Cam Ward. In fact, the Hurricanes -- riding a five-game losing streak -- threw third-string Justin Peters in net. That’s two points for just about any NHL club. Not the Flyers.

“It’s upsetting,” coach Craig Berube said. “Coverage was there and everything fine and we have to make sure we stay with our man. We didn’t. They tied it up.

“[Then] a turnover in overtime, breakaway. It can’t happen.”

Crisp passing from Eric Staal to younger brother Jordan saw the latter elude Claude Giroux for the tying goal at 19:07, forcing the overtime.

“Nice play, they went behind the net, passed the puck in front and it went back door,” said a visibly angry Giroux, who stayed several minutes after the game outside the dressing room before entering.

Giroux admitted Jordan Staal was his man when Nick Grossmann tried to intercept/block Eric Staal's pass to Jordan in the slot.

“I think so,” Giroux said. “I think it happened pretty quick. It was in the corner there and I thought I was going to get closer to him and it went the other side ... I was holding the front of the net and the pass went through there.”

It was a crushing moment for the Flyers after an exhilarating lift three minutes earlier when Hartnell scored his first goal of the season with a power-play tip.

The game should have ended with a 1-0 Steve Mason shutout. “It leaves a sour taste in your mouth,” Hartnell said. “”They score two goals in a couple minutes, whatever.” On the game-winner in overtime, Mark Streit had the puck and was checked off it by Manny Malhotra, creating his breakaway goal.

Streit was never given a turnover and should not have since it was a check. Still, he took responsibility for not getting the puck deep into the zone. “Coots (Sean Couturier) gave me the puck in the neutral zone and I tried to make a play and it wasn’t there,” Streit said. “I got hit and bounced off the puck. It was an unnecessary turnover.” Resulting in another loss.

- Tim Panaccio, CSN Philly