The Flyers spoil a four-goal second period, lose to the New York Rangers in shootout

NEW YORK — The Flyers had the game in hand but struggled to hold off the surging New York Rangers.

Leading 3-1 and 4-2, the Flyers allowed the Rangers to tie the game in the third period, capped off by a power-play goal by Mika Zibanejad. The Swede beat his countryman, Samuel Ersson, with a one-timer from the left circle after Rasmus Ristolainen was called for delay of game with three minutes to go in regulation.

In the end, and despite almost three minutes of power-play time in overtime, the Flyers lost 5-4 in the shootout. Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck each beat Ersson in the skills competition, with Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin stopping Trevor Zegras and Travis Konecny hitting the post.

The Flyers have lost two straight and five of their past six games, with four of the losses coming after regulation.

What an NHL debut for Denver Barkey.

Recalled on Friday from Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League, the forward made his presence known from puck drop. Literally, as he got the start with linemates Sean Couturier and Owen Tippett.

On his first shift, Barkey forced Shesterkin to freeze the puck on a shot by Tippett. On his next shift, he almost scored — twice. The Flyers controlled the perimeter and the boards with Barkey, Couturier, and Tippett cycling the puck down low. Couturier got the puck in the left corner and sent it around to Tippett before finding Barkey crashing down. He shot the puck off the pass and then got a rebound chance.

In the second period, Barkey got on the scoresheet with a pair of primary assists.

His first came on a power play, when he got the puck off the right boards and fed Travis Sanheim in the high slot. The defenseman skated down and fired the wrister from the slot past the stick of Shesterkin. It is Sanheim’s first power-play tally since Jan. 31, 2019, against the Boston Bruins.

Just 23 seconds later, he got point No. 2. Flyers defenseman Cam York threw a backhander on net that was knocked down by Rangers defenseman Will Borgen in front. Barkey scooped up the loose puck and sent the backhand pass to Tippett, who was at the left point. The forward skated in between the circles and also beat Shesterkin stick side.

In the second period, Barkey also drew a penalty that led to yet another power-play goal for the Flyers. The penalty came in the offensive zone, after the forward cleared the puck out of the front of the Flyers’ end.

On the ensuing power play, the Flyers ran what appeared to be a set play. Noah Cates won the face-off back to Jamie Drysdale at the left point. The defenseman sent it across to his good buddy, Zegras, and the New York native sent a one-timer into the back of the net.

Zegras has a team-leading 15 goals and 35 points in 34 games.

It is the first time the Flyers have scored two power-play goals in a game since Dec. 3 against the Sabres.

But what made the day extra special was the Flyers getting their first short-handed goal of the season. Rodrigo Ābols forced defenseman Scott Morrow to make a pass across the ice that was picked off by Sanheim.

The defenseman skated down and made a nifty move around Morrow on a two-on-one. His pass went off the skate of Ābols as he crashed the net. The goal is Ābols’ second of the season.

Philly had two chances to win the game in overtime. Panarin slashed York eight seconds into the extra session. They had four shot attempts, with Konecny missing the net twice.

Then, with 51 seconds left in overtime, Zegras was pulled down by Scott Morrow, but the Flyers couldn’t find the back of the net. Shesterkin stopped a tip-in chance by Konecny from 6 feet out with 33 seconds left.

Ersson got the start in goal. He allowed four goals on 26 shots in regulation.

Panarin, who was clearly the Rangers’ best player Saturday, beat Ersson twice. His first goal of the game, with 26 seconds left in the first period, put the Flyers in a 1-0 hole. Off a face-off in the Flyers’ end, Zibanejad got the puck on the right boards and chipped the pass to Panarin alone in the middle of the ice. He sent the wrister stick-side past Ersson.

The Russian winger scored again in the second period after Tippett turned the puck over in the neutral zone. Panarin intercepted his backhand pass in the middle of the ice, skated down the right wing, and fired the snapshot off the far post and in.

Vincent Trocheck cut it to 4-3 in the third period after Ersson made a brilliant save on the Pittsburgh native, but couldn’t control the rebound. Trocheck’s second shot appeared to nick the skate of Nikita Grebenkin and got past Ersson.

Forward Garnet Hathaway was a healthy scratch for the first time with the Flyers on Saturday. The winger does not have a point in 33 games this season. ... Forward Christian Dvorak (lower-body injury) and goalie Dan Vladař (upper-body injury) did not play. Neither injury is expected to be long-term, per general manager Danny Brière. Goalie Aleksei Kolosov was recalled under emergency conditions.

» READ MORE: Flyers’ Christian Dvorak, Dan Vladař out with injuries, and more roster updates

The Flyers head home for a meeting with coach Rick Tocchet’s old team, the Vancouver Canucks, on Monday (NHLN, NBCSP, 7:30 p.m.).

They finish up the schedule before the NHL’s holiday break with a quick trip on Tuesday against the Chicago Blackhawks (9 p.m., TNT, truTV, HBO Max).