The Flyers had one constant Thursday: The inability to solve Oilers goalie Cam Talbot.
Talbot was perfect with 35 saves for his second shutout of the season, as Edmonton snapped the Flyers' three-game win streak with a 4-0 win at the Wells Fargo Center.
It was the third time Talbot shut out the Flyers in the past two seasons. He kept the Flyers off the scoreboard twice last season as a member of the New York Rangers.
Edmonton is now 7-3-1 in its last 11 games against the Flyers, and won its first game in Philadelphia since Nov. 2, 2008. The Oilers have won three straight overall.
With the loss and the Pittsburgh Penguins beating the Rangers, the Flyers are now five points out of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with 19 games left.
The Flyers were lifeless in the first 18 minutes before beginning to click. They were outshot, 12-3, in the first 15:47 but then outshot the Oilers, 15-3, over the next 15:32.
NHL
They were able to muster some quality scoring chances in the second period, but were outscored, 2-0, in the middle stanza. In the third period, they had a four-minute power play with under 10 minutes to go but gave up a shorthanded goal that made it 4-0.
Notable goals
Just when the Flyers began shifting momentum into their corner, Taylor Hall pushed the Oilers to a 2-0 lead at 14:22 in the second period with his 21st of the season.
Hall created a neutral-zone turnover on Shayne Gostisbehere and then out-skated the rookie defenseman to beat Michal Neuvirth with a backhand-forehand deke on a breakaway. About two minutes later, former Flyers property Patrick Maroon put the Oilers ahead, 3-0.
Nail Yakupov opened the scoring at 11:20 in the first period, when he deposited a rebound after Connor McDavid showed off his wheels, blowing by Evgeny Medvedev for the initial chance. Neuvirth made the first save, but Yakupov had the easy put-back.
Goalie report
Neuvirth started his fifth straight game and was solid for the most part despite allowing four goals, which he last did Nov. 10 against the Colorado Avalanche.
The Czech goalie made 13 stops in a busy first period that included three shots faced in the first 30 seconds. In the second, Neuvirth gave up two goals, but neither were on him.
He finished with 27 saves.
Power play
The Flyers' power play had its chances and rejuvenated a team that was lackluster in the first 18 minutes. Their first PP came with 1:51 left in the first, and it generated three quality chances but no goals. In the second, they had a few more but didn't score.
All said, the Flyers' man advantage finished 0 for 7. They did give up a shorthanded goal.
Penalty kill
While the Flyers had 18 penalty minutes, they had just one penalty to kill and they did.
Scratches
Forward R.J. Umberger and defenseman Brandon Manning, both healthy. Forwards Jake Voracek (lower-body), Jordan Weal (upper-body) and Michal Del Zotto (left wrist) all injured.
Up next
The Flyers' season-long six-game homestand continues Saturday against the Blue Jackets.
Edmonton continues its four-game road trip Friday night against in Columbus.