The Flyers completely crumbled Sunday night for another demoralizing loss in their 2021-22 season to forget.
They allowed a game-tying shorthanded goal with 42.1 seconds remaining in regulation en route to a head-scratching 4-3 overtime loss to the Canadiens at the Wells Fargo Center.
When Cole Caufield scored Montreal's OT winner, the listed attendance of 15,451 fans booed sharply.
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And the Flyers deserved all of it.
The Flyers (18-30-11) have lost three straight and have gone 12-28-9 after starting the season 6-2-2.
They're 0-0-2 against the Canadiens (16-35-8), who entered the day with a league-worst 38 points. Both of the Flyers' losses to Montreal came on blown third-period leads.
The two clubs meet once more April 21 in Montreal.
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Before the collapse, the Flyers got goals from Kevin Hayes, Claude Giroux and Cam Atkinson.
• Holding a 3-2 lead with one minute left, the Flyers were put on a power play when Chris Wideman was whistled for interference on Joel Farabee.
That should have been the game.
It was not.
Montreal found a way to gain the offensive zone and Rem Pitlick scored all alone by the doorstep off a pass from Ben Chiarot.
Derick Brassard was closest to Pitlick but didn't appear to see him. Travis Sanheim was beat to a loose puck by Chiarot.
In overtime, the Flyers turned the puck over and Caufield blasted a slap shot past Carter Hart for the winner.
"Take ice time away, put guys on the fourth line, scratch guys if we have to," Flyers interim head coach Mike Yeo said postgame when asked what else he can do to drive home his message. "I don’t even know if we have enough to call guys up. And this is veteran players we’re going to have to do it to, too. Got to get the job done."
• A couple of Giroux milestones were totally soured by the finish.
In Giroux's 999th career game, his goal marked the 900th point of his career. The marker was the 291st of his career, putting him in sole possession of eighth on the Flyers' all-time list as he passed Eric Lindros.
The 34-year-old captain has continued to climb the ladder of franchise icons this season. He is still ultra effective and has been one of the Flyers' best players this season.
And as everyone knows, these could be his final days in Philadelphia.
The retooling Flyers have three more games ahead of next Monday's trade deadline.
For Giroux, the loss had to be salt in the wound. This is not the way he wants to go out as a Flyer.
"I didn't think I'd be put in a position to make a decision," Giroux said postgame. "It's been probably the worst year since I've been here. It's been a tough year, obviously a lot of injuries, but I'm not going to start making excuses.
"It's been a long year. ... I'm not too sure what to say, to be honest. It's not a position I want to be in. Obviously there are still some meetings and some things to talk about with management, see what the game plan is not just for this year but the future."
More: Trading Giroux? Breaking down Flyers' biggest headliner at deadline
• Hart entered 4-5-1 with a 2.51 goals-against average and .928 save percentage in his last 10 starts at home.
The 23-year-old finished with 31 saves. He was not to blame whatsoever for the collapse.
Montreal netminder Sam Montembeault denied 27 of the Flyers' 30 shots.
• Sanheim made a nice play to join the rush and assist Hayes' game-opening goal.
Sanheim leads the Flyers' defensemen in points (21) and assists (17) this season.
The final minute of regulation was not his best. The Flyers were bad collectively on that play.
A total unraveling.
• Rasmus Ristolainen was not sharp through the first two periods.
He struggled in coverage on Nick Suzuki's second goal of the game, which drew the Canadiens even at 2-2 during the middle frame.
Later in the period, he had a questionable pinch and then an ensuing turnover in the defensive zone.
But the 27-year-old has a tendency to make up for mistakes with physicality and effort. He finished as a minus-1 but recorded seven hits and five blocked shots. His presence around the net was felt.
He was also one of the Flyers that played hard and decently on Montreal's game-tying goal.
More: Ristolainen deal is a fine one, but Flyers need to hold up their end
• The Flyers' 30th-ranked power play went 0 for 2 and is 9 for 82 (11 percent) since the calendar turned to 2022.
It somehow allowed the game-tying goal in the final minute of regulation.
• Yeo decided to put Morgan Frost at left winger on Giroux's line and the decision paid off.
The 22-year-old prospect played one of his better games of the season.
Frost assisted Giroux's goal, played with speed and put an emphasis on getting pucks toward the net.
Solid stuff from Frost.
Travis Konecny was the other winger on that line and also played well.
• The Flyers put themselves on the penalty kill four times and finished 3 for 4.
• Scott Laughton remains out indefinitely after suffering a concussion Thursday in the Flyers' 6-3 loss the Panthers.
"We'll proceed cautiously with that," Yeo said pregame.
• The Flyers have three days before their next game Thursday when they host the Predators (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
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