TJ Oshie scored the “game-winner” in the shootout as the Flyers were blanked by the Blues tonight, 1-0. Much like the SO Goal that put him on the map, Oshie took his sweet time down the ice and deked out Ray Emery to finally bury a goal in the contest. Vinny Lecavalier seemed to have immediately matched Oshie’s showmanship on his attempt, but Ryan Miller came up BIG once again.

Miller played masterfully in this game stopping an onslaught of great Flyer chances. The Flyers took 31 shots (plus two more shootout attempts) and controlled the puck well, making up for their recent shortcomings in that category, but Miller shut them down, literally. Simmonds, Giroux, Voracek, and Hartnell all had their opportunities but Miller’s Web-Gem-like saves were the difference makers.

Ray Emery also played well in this one. Emery stopped all 28 shots he saw in the first 65 minutes and one of the three shootout attempts. Unlike the Flyers however, the Blues did miss the net on plenty of their opportunities. Emery and the Flyers didn’t allow the Blues to score on either of their two power play attempts; they’ve now killed off 40 of their last 42 penalties. The PECO power play came up short once again going 0 for 3, but this was more about Miller’s goaltending than poor play on the man advantage.

The Flyers have now lost four of their last five games but the two-straight shootout loses give the Flyers a three-game point streak. Luckily for the Flyers, both the Blue Jackets and Capitals also lost; CBJ also in a shootout and the Caps in regulation. The Flyers maintain a four-point lead over Columbus for third in the Metropolitan and now have a six-point over Washington. The Devils also lost in a shootout tonight and remain seven points back of the Flyers; Iceman will have full coverage of this game.

The Flyers return home on Thursday to face the Columbus Blue Jackets in a critical Metropolitan Division matchup. This is the fourth and final matchup of the regular season, Columbus leads the series 2-1 but the Flyers did win the only other game at the Wells Fargo Center. The puck drops at 7pm and Matty D and myself will be there.