Flyers lose in overtime again

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Flyers are showing a funny way of trying to sneak closer in the playoff race.

For the second straight game, they picked up a point but blew a third-period lead and lost on the road.

This time, they coughed up a 3-1 advantage en route to a 4-3 overtime defeat to Columbus at Nationwide Arena on Friday night.

Artem Anisimov's first goal in 21 games, scored on a rebound, gave Columbus the win with 2 minutes, 43 seconds left in overtime.

The Flyers had dropped a 2-1 overtime decision in Montreal on Tuesday. They have points in eight straight games (5-0-3) for the first time since 2011, but they are frustrated by their inability to finish off an opponent lately.

"It's pretty embarrassing," said center Sean Couturier, who gave the Flyers a 2-1 lead late in the second period, swatting in a midair rebound. "I mean, we're in the playoff hunt, and you can't have an effort like that. You're not going to go far with the way we played. If we want, we can be one of the best teams in the league; we just have to play our game and start putting pressure [on teams], start putting pucks on the net, and play tight D.

"The last two games have been embarrassing the way we lose these games."

Montreal, which tied the game at 1-1 by scoring with 7:22 left in regulation, beat the Flyers with its speed. The Blue Jackets frustrated the Flyers with their cycle. The Jackets had the puck in the Flyers end for huge parts of the first 40 minutes, making it look as if they had a power play during some even-strength cycles.

Ray Emery's spectacular goaltending and Wayne Simmonds' two goals helped the Flyers build a 3-1 lead with less than 12 minutes left.

"That's three points we've [squandered] in the last week," said Simmonds, who was also including a 3-2 shootout loss to the Islanders. "We have to do something about that."

The Flyers inched to within seven points of Boston for the last Eastern Conference playoff spot, pending the result of the Bruins' late game in Vancouver on Friday.

Columbus tied it with 4:40 left after Emery made a great save on Scott Hartnell. Cam Atkinson was left alone in front and put in the rebound, knotting the game at 3.

Fourth-line winger Jared Boll, left alone in front, had cut it to 3-2 with 11:22 remaining, scoring his first goal since 2013.

The Flyers top line - Claude Giroux centering Brayden Schenn and Jake Voracek - continued its recent struggles in five-on-five situations.

"They're not working together very well," coach Craig Berube said. "To me, they have to work harder and play a simple game."

Simmonds' 20th goal gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead midway through the first period, marking the sixth straight game they had scored first.

Simmonds split two defenders, blazed past defenseman Kevin Connauton, and beat Curtis McElhinney with a shot to the glove side. Matt Read had the assist, giving him points in three straight games for the first time this season.

Emery made 21 stops in the first two periods, including a show-stopper in front to rob Atkinson with a little under seven minutes left in the second. He also stopped Nick Foligno on a breakaway about 15 seconds later.

All told, Emery made 29 stops. All four goals were scored from within a few feet of the goal. Blame the absent defenders on the Jackets' second goal, and a bad line change for the tally that tied it at 3-3.

"We made two mistakes," Berube said.

The mistakes masked one of Emery's best performances of the season.

"It's great when you have your goaltender playing like that, [but] everyone in front of him has to wake up and figure it out," Simmonds said.

McElhinney turned aside Couturier in the final minute of regulation to keep the game tied at 3-3.

"I couldn't get the puck flat, so I just tried to fake him out, and I think he covered his angle pretty well," Couturier said. "You just have to find a way to score those goals."

@BroadStBull