Flyers Edge Blues in OT

For the third straight game, the Blues headed to the extra frame, but once again gained only a point as the Flyers won the game 7-6 in overtime.

The Blues came out flying once again in the opening period, and were rewarded midway through when Jason Gardiner and Ben Morgan broke in 2 on 1.   Morgan slid a nice feed over to Gardiner who calmly sent the puck under the crossbar giving the Blues a 1-0 lead.

Mike Wilgosh would tie it for the Flyers on the powerplay with 1:35 left in the first period, but the Blues would answer right back with their own powerplay goal.  Paul Bonar let a shot go from the point that hit a Winkler stick and eluded Flyer netminder Peter Alexander.  And the Blues lead the Flyers 2-1 after the opening frame.

In the 2nd the Flyers would once again tie the game on a powerplay as Jory Mullin was able to have three free whacks at the puck beside the Blues net and finally put the 4th past Blues goalie Brett Martyniuk to even things up at two.

The Blues would answer quickly yet again.  With a delayed penalty coming up to the Flyers and the extra man on the ice, Evan Gravenor fed a nice cross ice pass to Peter Logan who put the puck past Alexander to restore the Blues lead.

The back and forth affair would continue a couple minutes later when Daniel Fainman skated into the Blues zone, dropped the puck to Kyle Wells in the slot who let a nice wristshot go that beat Martyniuk and the game was knotted at 3.

Winkler would take the lead for the first time in the hockey game midway through the period as Matt Loopkey let a shot go that deflected off a Blues stick and found it's way behind Martyinuk to give the Flyers a 4-3 lead after 2.

The Blues would tie the game early in the 3rd as Dustin Bruyere sent a pass looking for Adam Stoykewych who was streaking to the Flyers net.  Winkler goalie Alexander got his stick on the pass, but it deflected up and hit Stoykewych and bounced in the net, tying the game at four.

Midway through the third Evan Gravenor would score a beauty.   Gravenor picked up the puck just outside the Flyers blue line with speed.  He then split the two Flyer defencemen, and while falling down managed to put the puck up and over Alexander to give the Blues the lead once again.

The game was far from over though, and just over 3 minutes later Mike Riffell let a shot go from the point, and once again it hit a stick, and managed to find it's way through a maze of players and into the back of the Blues net.  5-5.

With under three minutes to go, Winkler decided it was their turn to take the lead again, and Blair Osiowy fired a slapshot from just inside the blue line and gave the Flyers a 6-5 lead.

It stayed that way until late in the third.  With Martyniuk on the bench for an extra attacker, the Blues swarmed the Flyer net and the puck ended up on the stick of Gardiner who knocked home the loose puck with 29 seconds left,  and the Blues were heading to the extra frame for the third time in 3 games.

The game looked like it was destined for a shootout when the Flyers stole the puck at the Blues line, broke in 2 on 1, and Chapen LeBlond ended it for the Flyers.

Final score 7-6 Flyers.

Next action for the Blues is Thursday night when the Portage Terriers come to town.   Puck drop is set for 7:30.