If the Flyers playoff run continues through March and they creep to within one point of the final playoff spot, or worse, finish one point shy of the playoffs, this might be the first game you think of.
At 4:58 of the third period, the Flyers were trailing by a goal when they appeared to score out of a net-mouth scramble. Nick Schultz was the last to touch the puck as it fluttered into the net.
After a long discussion by the officials, it was determined that the play was not reviewable and the call was no goal. The Flyers did eventually tie the game, but lost to the Calgary Flames in overtime.
Make no mistake, this was a game where the Flyers once again left the second point on the ice. But this game will be remembered more for the disallowed goal than the Flyers play on the ice.
"Called a goal originally on the ice but then they huddled," head coach Craig Berube said. "In their huddle they decided there was incidental contact with the goalie. It's not reviewable. To me, it looked like he called it a goal originally."
The NHL's Situation Room in Toronto has a page on NHL.com that constantly updates with decisions made by the league during games. The brief statement leaves much to be desired.
At 4:58 of the third period in the Calgary Flames/Philadelphia Flyers game, the four on-ice officials huddled and determined that Philadelphia's Nick Schultz made incidental contact in the crease with Calgary goaltender Karri Ramo before the puck crossed the goal line. This is not a reviewable play therefore the on-ice decision stands – no penalty and no goal Philadelphia."
A poor first period, and an early goal in the second by the Flames, forced the Flyers to play from behind for much of the night. Once again, the Flyers were also plagued by a slow start.
"The start of the game is not good enough," Berube said. "I'd say the first 10-12 minutes, we lacked that effort or energy. I thought after that we played a pretty solid hockey game.
"I know that they are urgent and they know the situation. In their play, it didn't show in the first 10-12 minutes."
For a team that needs every point they can get, and is getting every opportunity to take over that final playoff spot, the urgency level needs to be there at the start. It wasn't until the third that the Flyers dominated possession time and took control of the game.
That's when the disallowed goal stole the show.
"I just went to the net. I don't know if I got pushed but it ended up going into the net," Schultz said. "I guess they figured it was interference, so it's no goal."
"It's a game-tying goal in the biggest game of the season," Jake Voracek said. "It's a goal. I don't know how in today's hockey how they can look at a goal from the video and do something. It was disallowed. I have no idea why. He got cross-checked from behind. He hit the puck first. I'm not sure what the ref saw."
One point put the Flyers within three of the Florida Panthers – who lost to Toronto on Tuesday – and five of the Boston Bruins for the final playoff spot. But in getting only one point, it allowed the New Jersey Devils to close to within two points of the Flyers with their win over Nashville and the Ottawa Senators to within one point with their shootout loss to Minnesota.
There isn't much room for error. The Flyers first period was full of it.
The disallowed goal proved to loom large and was a new way to leave a point on the ice. But at the end of the day, it wasn't anything different than what has hurt the Flyers in the last month.
Kevin Durso is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.
