Flyers fight back but fall to Bruins

The Flyers whiffed on a chance Monday night to sweep the season series from Boston for the first time in franchise history.

Brett Connolly tipped in Zdeno Chara's shot with 1 minute, 54 seconds left, lifting Boston to a 3-2 win over the Flyers at the stunned Wells Fargo Center.

It was the Flyers' third straight loss, all in regulation, and it pushed them further behind in the wild-card race. The losing streak started when they allowed the winning goal with 7.5 seconds left against Toronto.

"This time of the year, you can't play 40 minutes," said defenseman Michael Del Zotto.

But that's just what the Flyers did, taking the first period off and falling into a 2-0 hole before playing solidly over the final two periods.

Slow starts have hindered the Flyers all season. They have been outscored in the first period, 40-22.

"We've got to be mentally better," winger Wayne Simmonds said after the 20th multi-goal game of his career. "It's not physical, obviously. If you can come out in the second and third and play the way we did, I don't think it's physical at all. We have to make sure we're getting ourselves up for the first periods. It starts with the first shift and snowballs from there."

After the game, Flyers goalie Michal Neuvirth (28 saves) was limping badly and had to get medical attention. He pulled his groin earlier in the week.

Simmonds' controversial goal with 7:52 left tied the score at 2-2. Boston challenged the ruling, claiming Del Zotto was offside when the game-tying sequence started.

Much to the disbelief of Boston coach Claude Julien, the goal stood after a review.

Simmonds' goal, his second of the night, was scored after goalie Tuukka Rask stopped Jake Voracek's shot but handed the rebound to Simmonds.

After playing a listless first period, the Flyers looked reenergized and dominated the second session.

Simmonds' power play goal with 16:15 left in the second cut the Flyers' deficit to 2-1.

Shayne Gostisbehere kept the puck in near the blue line and fired a shot at the net. Brayden Schenn gathered the rebound a few feet outside the left post and slid a pass to Simmonds (nine shots) for a tap-in near the right post.

The Flyers had four power plays in the first 10:57 of the second but could score only once.

Aided by the power plays, the Flyers had a 15-6 shots advantage in the second.

For the umpteenth time this season, the Flyers fell behind early and chased the game, allowing a pair of power-play goals to fall into a 2-0 first-period hole.

The Flyers have had a lead heading into the second period in just five of 46 games this season. That, of course, is not a formula for success.

Neither is the continual failure of their penalty kill.

The first-period goals by Patrice Bergeron (off a rebound) and Brad Marchand (one-timer from the right circle) gave opponents four scores in their last six power-play attempts - all with penalty-killing standout Sean Couturier sidelined with an undisclosed injury.

The Flyers' penalty kill began the night 25th in the 30-team league and dropped lower after the first period.

"We have to do a lot better job than we did," said defenseman Nick Schultz, who, along with Radko Gudas, was on the ice for both of the Bruins' power-play goals. "Too many pucks coming through seams and then them making plays."

Marchand, who converted a slick feed from Chara, scored a goal for the fifth straight game, a personal best.

The Flyers, playing their first game since Thursday - their Saturday game in Brooklyn was postponed because of the blizzard - were ragged and second to the puck for most of the opening period. Boston had a 16-8 shots domination in the first 20 minutes.

The Flyers regrouped in the second and got to within 2-1, setting up what they hoped would be their third straight comeback win over the Bruins.

Boston entered the night 15-4-1 when it took a lead into the third period, and two of the losses were against the Flyers.

But the Bruins, thanks to Connolly's late heroics, wouldn't let it happen again.

scarchidi@phillynews.com

@BroadStBull