Rick Tocchet's Flyers threw everything at Ottawa late tonight and still lost 2-1, dropping a fifth straight game to open the season.
Philadelphia outshot the Senators 29-26, then pushed hard with the net empty in the dying seconds.
As the clock hits zero, a pile of Flyers and Senators is still jammed against the boards beside the Ottawa net, with a fan in the foreground throwing an arm in the air.
Gino Hard called it an absolute flurry of chances. The Senators held on anyway.
Outshooting a team makes for a nice talking point at the podium. It doesn't put a single win in the standings, and this group badly needs one.
The Flyers have now scored one goal or fewer in three of their five games.
Five straight losses feels like a car that won't start on a cold morning. You can keep turning the key, but eventually somebody calls a tow truck.
Senators-Flyers ends with one of the craziest finishes you'll see all year
Ottawa won its home opener, but William Eklund needed help off the ice after a collision with Simon Benoit.
Dr. Harjas Grewal flagged a possible ankle fracture, which would mean a 4 to 12-plus week timeline if that's what it turns out to be.
It capped a chippy night that also featured Ridly Greig going up high on Owen Tippett with no call and Noel Acciari ending up in an open bench door.
The win moves Ottawa to 3-1-0, with Tim Stutzle carrying 6 points into the night.
The 7-0 opening-night loss to Pittsburgh set an ugly tone, and nothing since has managed to flip it.
Three of Philadelphia's five losses have now come by a single goal.
That says the gap isn't huge. It also says the Flyers keep finding ways to lose the close ones.
How long does Daniel Briere watch this before he makes a move?
There's no time to sulk. The Flyers play in Boston on Saturday afternoon and host Carolina on Sunday.
A sixth straight loss in Boston turns a slow start into a real problem for Tocchet.
Is Rick Tocchet's job in danger if the Flyers lose in Boston on Saturday?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
This dangerous moment involving Owen Tippett has Flyers fans demanding answers
