Postgame 5: Flyers Burned by Flames. 6-3

The Philadelphia Flyers opened a crucial seven-game homestand with a 6-3 loss to the Calgary Flames at Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday evening. The Flames swept the season series against the Flyers and Philadelphia's five-game point streak came to an end.

The first period was unexpectedly high scoring. Calgary roared out to a 3-0 lead. The Flyers got two goals and then the Flames quickly replied to take a 4-2 lead to intermission.

Calgary went to a power play at 2:12 as Egor Zamula caught Blake Coleman with a high stick. The Flames logged lots of attack zone time, including a pair of good looks for former Flyers center Morgan Frost. Calgary was unable to put any on net.

MacKenzie Weegar cross-checked Matvei Michov and took a minor penalty at 5:05.The Flyers did not generate much of note.

Calgary took a 1-0 lead at 7:40 as Connor Zary (11th goal of the season) deflected home a Brayden Pachal point shot. Jonathan Huberdeau picked up the secondary assist.

Calgary scored again at 12:12 as Kadri (22nd) scored off the inside of the post to Sam Ersson's glove side from the right dot. Joel Hanley earned the lone assist.

The Flames made it 3-0 at 9:32 as Zary scored again: this time high to the short side. The assists went to Ryan Lomberg and Kevin Rooney.

The outburst of three goals on five shots ended Ersson's night after allowing three goals on five shots. Ivan Fedotov entered the game.

The Flyers moved back within 3-1 at 9:54 as Noah Cates (14th goal of the season) scored high to the blocker side on a delayed penalty on Calgary. The assists went to Tyson Foerster and Bobby Brink.

The Flyers made it 3-2 at 17:11. Former Calgary winger Andrei Kuzmenko stripped Nazem Kadri of the puck in the neutral zone. In the attack zone, his rising shot went off Kevin Bahl and into the net. The goal was unassisted.

Calgary got the goal back 18 seconds later as Yegor Sharangovich finessed a loose puck through Fedotov from a severe angle. The assists went to Martin Pospisil and Frost.

First period shots on goal were tied at 12-12.

The Flames were called for too many men on the ice at 7:31 of the second period.

16:07 Coleman was knocked to the ice and Nick Seeler was sent off for roughing. The Flames extended the lead to 5-2. Frost was denied at the net on a between the legs shot, but recovered the puck and got it back out to Weegar. The defenseman (PPG, 7th) fired and scored from the high center slot. Frost earned his second assist of the game. The secondary assist went to Huberdeau.

Bahl tripped Tippett near the attacking blueline at 18:36. The Flyers took exception to the hit because it was close to being knee-on-knee. Calgary took 36 seconds of carryover power play time into the third period.

Second period shots on goal were 12-9 in the Flames' favor (23-21 Calgary overall). Each team also drew iron at least once apiece: Sharangovich for the Flames, Travis Konecny and Sean Couturier for the Flyers.

The Flyers were unable to capitalize on the remaining power play time that carried over into the third period.

With a three-goal lead, Calgary focused on disciplined checking. Former Flyers winger Joel Farabee had a pair of chances on the same shift on counterattacks off Flyers' turnovers. Fedotov turned away both low and high shots.

At 10:43, the Flyers cut the Calgary lead to 5-3. Matvei Michkov (20th) found some operating room and put a shot that just barely crossed the goal line after bouncing in the blue paint. Couturier nudged the puck into the back of the net. The assists went to Kuzmenko (second of the game) and Travis Sanheim.

On their next shift, the Couturier line applied extended forechecking pressure. At the other end of the ice, York came up with a clutch block on Weegar.

The Flyers got a crucial power play at 16:29 as Huberdeau was called for hooking Konecny as the Flyers' leading scorer worked past him.

Coleman had a shorthanded breakaway but was denied by Fedotov. With 2:30 left in regulation, the Flyers pulled the goalie for a 6-on-4 attack. Kuzmenko had an excellent chance from the bumper off a Michkov setup.

At 19:00, Kadri set Coronato for an empty net goal (16th). Weegar got the secondary assist as the Flames closed out the win with a three-goal margin.

Third period shots on goal were 10-6 in Calgary's favor (33-27 Flames overall).

In relief of Ersson, Fedotov stopped 25 of 27 shots. He'd have liked to have the Sharangovich tally back but otherwise did everything possible to give his team a chance to come back. Dustin Wolf earned the win with 24 saves on 27 shots.

FLYERS STARTING LINEUP

74 Owen Tippett - 14 Sean Couturier - 39 Matvei Michkov

71 Tyson Foerster - 27 Noah Cates - 10 Bobby Brink

96 Andrei Kuzmenko - 21 Scott Laughton - 11 Travis Konecny

44 Nicolas Deslauriers - 25 Ryan Poehling - 22 Jakob Pelletier

8 Cam York - 6 Travis Sanheim

24 Nick Seeler - 9 Jamie Drysdale

5 Egor Zamula - 55 Rasmus Ristolainen

32 Samuel Ersson

[82 Ivan Fedotov]

Scratches: 19 Garnet Hathaway (upper body), 77 Erik Johnson (healthy), 35 Aleksei Kolosov (healthy).

PP1: Ristolainen, Konecny, Laughton, Kuzmenko, Michkov

PP2: Drysdale, Foerster, Cates, Brink, Sanheim

TURNING POINT

The Flyers dug themselves a deep hole in the first 10 minutes of the game, as Zary's two goals sparked a 3-0 edge for a Calgary team that had been mired in a deep offensive slump. Cates and Kuzmenko got the Flyers right back into the game but Sharangovich's response restored order for Calgary.

POSTGAME 5 ("RAV4 THINGS" REVISITED)

1. Kuzmenko/Pelletier vs. Farabee/Frost: Kuzmenko (one goal, one assist, two shots on goal, 18:24 of ice time) had arguably his best all-around game as a Flyer since the trade to Philadelphia. Frost played with a lot of urgency for Calgary and generated three shots on goal, while winning 10 of 16 faceoffs and collecting even strength and power play assists. Farabee had a pair of scoring chances in the third period and generated four shots in 12:06 TOI. Jakob Pelletier skated 10:07 over 13 shifts.

2. Fatigue factor favors Flyers: The Flames were playing their fifth game in eight nights across five different cities. They had generated only one goal in their previous three games. Everything was set up for the Flyers to take care of business. Instead, the Flyers stumbled out of the gates and had to chase the game the rest of the night.

3. Puck pressure and structure: Tuesday's performance -- from the goal crease out -- was not what the Flyers had in mind. They had some surges but playing from multiple goals behind is usually a losing formula.

4. Special teams: The Flyers went 0-for-4 on the power play. They were 1-for-2 on the penalty kill.

5. Between the pipes: Fedotov played well after coming in early for the suddenly struggling Ersson. Wolf, a Calder Trophy candidate, was solid in net for the Flames.