Flyers fall 6-3 to Bruins in a game that felt doomed from the start

BOSTON ― Across an arduous 82-game NHL schedule, some games are bound to be uphill battles, particularly back-to-back games on the road.

Thursday night’s matchup against the Bruins was always going to be one of those games, even before the Flyers sat on the tarmac in Columbus due to mechanical issues — after Wednesday’s 5-3 loss to the Blue Jackets ― and were delayed arriving into Boston until past 3 a.m. It proved to be just that as the weary Flyers struggled to find their legs early, dug themselves too big a hole, and were blown out 6-3 at TD Garden.

The opening seconds of the contest would foreshadow what would prove to be a long night, as just 14 seconds in, Boston winger Marat Khusnutdinov walked Noah Juulsen and forced Sam Ersson into a big save from in tight. Ersson would make three more athletic stops on Mark Kastelic and Sean Kuraly (x2), but the Bruins soon found a way through the Swedish netminder via his countryman, Viktor Arvidsson.

While the Flyers were running around a bit in their own zone in the lead up to the goal, the shot was one Ersson should have stopped, as Arvidsson didn’t get all of his one-timer from the slot following a Casey Mittelstadt feed. But the shot still managed to trickle through the Flyers netminder’s legs to give the Bruins the lead at 9 minutes, 49 seconds of the first period.

» READ MORE: Mistakes cost fading Flyers despite the play of Dan Vladař and a banged-up Travis Konecny

Before the Flyers could regroup it was 2-0 Boston, as Pavel Zacha snuck behind the Philadelphia defense to score Boston’s second just 41 seconds after its first. The route looked to be officially on, although Ersson made a few big saves to keep things at 2-0.

The Flyers looked to get back into the game midway through the period as Nikita Grebenkin, a rare bright spot on the night, barreled into the Boston zone with speed. His initial shot was stopped by Jeremy Swayman but Christian Dvorak was there to fire home the rebound and split the deficit ... at least momentarily.

The goal would quickly be taken off the board as Boston successfully challenged for goaltender interference, as the situation room in Toronto ruled that Grebenkin’s stick, which was caught in Swayman’s equipment, impeded the goaltender from resetting and making the save. The teams would go to their respective dressing room’s with the score at 2-0.

After an improved and more energetic start to Period 2 from the Flyers, Boston made it 3-0 just over two minutes into the frame. Fraser Minten glided down the left wing and beat Ersson five-hole with a shot on the ice. The goal was another that Ersson will feel he should have stopped, especially after he had made two or three more difficult saves just prior.

Travis Konecny, who had a hat trick Wednesday in Columbus but was a game-time decision after taking a puck off the foot, got the Flyers on the board less than a minute later after hustle from Grebenkin and Dvorak forced a Bruins turnover in their own end. Konecny corralled the loose puck alone in the slot and beat Swayman clean for his 21st of the season.

The Flyers then earned a power play and made a bit of a push, only for Boston to increase its lead back to three goals through Mittelstadt. The former Buffalo Sabre flipped a backhander over a sprawling and helpless Ersson, who had just robbed Andrew Peeke on the initial shot, and just under the bar. Tanner Jeannot then would make it 5-2 Boston with a tip on a Peeke point shot at 18:40 of the second. Ersson, who allowed five goals on 15 shots, suffered a lower-body injury at the end of the second period and would be replaced by Dan Vladař for the third.

Grebenkin would finally get a well-deserved goal to wrap up the scoring in the second, hustling in to bury a rebound after Konecny had a breakaway and follow-up attempt stopped by Swayman. The Russian, who was the Flyers’ best forward of the night, seemed to be at the center of most of the good things the Flyers did offensively and was praised afterward by his teammates for his energy.

With Boston well in front, the Flyers controlled most of the third period, outshooting Boston 15-7 in the frame and 36-27 for the game, but it would be for naught. Boston would stretch its lead to 6-2 with 3:30 remaining in the third, as Khusnutdinov found the empty net after Tocchet had thrown caution to the wind and pulled the goalie.

Matvei Michkov would pull one back on the power play with under two minutes remaining after good work in front by Denver Barkey. Barkey dug the puck loose with a few whacks and, after kicking the puck to his stick, found the Russian at the back post for a tap-in. The goal was Michkov’s 13th of the year, and Barkey’s ninth NHL point in 19 games since being recalled on Dec. 19.

But it was too little, too late for the Flyers, who dropped their third straight and fell eight points below the playoff line in the Metro and 10 behind Boston in the wildcard.

Rasmus Ristolainen, who was a game-time decision and did not take line rushes during warmups, suited up and played just under 22 minutes. He said he felt good afterward and was frustrated after leaving Wednesday’s game after falling awkwardly. ... The Flyers went 1-for-3 on the power play and killed off the Boston opportunity with the man advantage. ... The Flyers have Friday off and will return to action Saturday at 12:30 p.m against the Los Angeles Kings at Xfinity Mobile Arena (NBCSP).