Flyers suffer 2-1 shootout loss to St. Louis Blues, but secure crucial point in standings

The Flyers were handed a gift on Sunday, as three of the four teams chasing them in the standings not only lost, but got blown out of the building. The Devils’ 5-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings was so demoralizing that New Jersey fired coach Lindy Ruff on Monday. The only team that didn’t play was the one closest to the Flyers in the standings — the New York Islanders — which entered Monday five points back and the winner of three straight.

A Flyers win against the visiting St. Louis Blues, a team attempting a playoff push themselves, would have created some more space — while also adding another nail to the Pittsburgh Penguins’ almost-sealed coffin. The 18,000-plus fans tried their best to spur the team on with a “Let’s Go Flyers” chant late in the game before booing when regulation ended and the Flyers let a win slip away.

It was a back-and-forth of boos, chants, and cheers in extra time. St. Louis owned possession for at least the first 2 minutes, but then the Flyers got their chances, including Cam York ringing one off the crossbar and Travis Sanheim getting robbed on a breakaway by the blocker of Jordan Binnington.

» READ MORE: Now with the Blues, Kevin Hayes is glad to square off against the Flyers: 'I loved my time here'

In the end, the Flyers were handed a 2-1 loss in the shootout on a goal by Pavel Buchnevich, but the Flyers still ended up with a crucial point in the standings.

Things were looking up in the first period. The Flyers took a 1-0 lead 22 seconds after it almost became a 1-0 deficit. Sam Ersson made a pad save on Colton Parayko, and his rebound ricocheted off Travis Sanheim to Jordan Kyrou in the slot. The Blues forward had his shot flutter off the crossbar. Like Felix Sandström on Saturday, Ersson needs to give the irons a love tap.

Seconds later, the Flyers broke out two-on-one and Ryan Poehling went around a sprawling Parayko, and had his shot pop over Binnington before going in off a crashing Scott Laughton. It was Laughton’s 10th goal of the year and his fifth since the All-Star break.

Kevin Hayes thought he’d hear some boos on Monday night. The former Flyers forward, who was making his return to the Wells Fargo Center, was right — but they didn’t rain down whenever he touched the puck as he expected. Instead, they came after he scored.

In the second period, Hayes got a stretch pass from Kasperi Kapanen after a pass attempt by Joel Farabee ended up on his stick. Breaking in the zone, Hayes actually lost control atop the crease, but the puck slid five-hole on Ersson.

Ronnie Attard sat for the third straight game since being recalled from Lehigh Valley on Friday. ... Travis Konecny missed his sixth straight game with an upper-body injury. He participated in the Flyers’ morning skate in a noncontact jersey for the first time since sustaining the injury. ... Laughton received his championship ring from Hockey Canada on Monday. The team’s general manager, Doug Armstrong, who is also the GM of the Blues, presented it to Laughton. Canada won gold at the World Championship in May. Laughton had eight points (three goals, five assists) in the tournament.

The Flyers head south for a matchup on Thursday with the NHL’s top team entering Monday, the Florida Panthers (7 p.m., NBCSP).