Philly Leader

The Philadelphia Flyers faced a setback, falling to the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 at the Bell Centre on Saturday evening. This defeat marked their exit from the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, as all three Montreal goals were scored in the third period.

The Flyers started the game strong, leading with four out of the first five shots on goal. Ryan Poehling scored his 12th of the season at 4:10 in the first period, assisted by Jakob Pelletier and Cam York. Despite this early lead, the Canadiens gained momentum as the game progressed.

Matvei Michkov endured a high stick by William Carrier, resulting in a four-minute power play. The Canadiens proved more effective even when shorthanded, maintaining pressure against the Flyers' offense. The first period ended with the Flyers leading in shots, 7-4.

In the second period, despite controlling most of the play, Montreal was held back by Flyers' goalie Samuel Ersson and his defense. Several key saves, including a glove save on Christian Dvorak, allowed the Flyers to maintain their lead into the third period. The Canadiens, however, led in shots 11-5 by the end of the second period.

The tide turned at the start of the third period. Brendan Gallagher scored his 20th goal to tie the game, followed by Lane Hutson's shot for a 2-1 Canadiens lead. A misplay by Ersson on a dump-in by Kaiden Guhle led to a shorthanded goal by Nick Suzuki, extending the Canadiens' lead.

Late in the third period, the Flyers attempted a comeback. Tyson Foerster narrowed the gap with a power-play goal at 19:21, with assists from Travis Konecny and Ryan Poehling. Despite their efforts in the final minute, the Flyers were unable to tie the game.

Ersson made 24 saves on 27 shots, while Sam Montembeault stopped 21 of 23 shots for the Canadiens. The Flyers managed to score only one power-play goal in four attempts and allowed a shorthanded goal, the eighth of the season. They successfully killed off both penalty opportunities against them.

The game also marked the NHL debut of Karsen Dorwart, with ten minutes on the ice and contributing with two shots on goal and two hits. Michkov, although challenged physically, continued to show his potential on the ice.

As individual players continue to strive towards personal milestones, the Flyers collectively showed resilience but ultimately fell short in this crucial game.