Mark Friedman
For as much scrutiny as Chuck Fletcher faces, Ron Hextall’s drafts have shown the Flyers inability to build a core that lasted well into the future. The minor trade involving Isaac Ratcliffe was further proof.
The Penguins put the finishing touches on the season series with the Flyers with a four-goal third period in a 7-3 decision at Wells Fargo Center.
The Flyers gave up three goals in the first four minutes of the game. Alain Vigneault used his timeout. The Flyers didn’t come back in waves, but trimmed away the lead and completed the rally with just over two minutes left in regulation, resulting in arguably their most impressive win of the season.
A deflection goal by Scott Laughton tied the game with 6:23 remaining, then Claude Giroux’s second goal of the game with 2:08 to play proved to be the difference in the Flyers 4-3 comeback win over the Penguins on Thursday night.
The Penguins took control in the second period and erased a Flyers third-period goal in short order on their way to a 5-2 result over the Flyers on Tuesday night.
The Flyers were back on Tuesday for practice with a limited group and more players are expected to rejoin the team on Wednesday ahead of Thursday’s game against the New York Rangers. The Flyers also had five games rescheduled by the NHL in the wake of COVID-19 caused postponements.
If not for their goaltender, it could have been a different game entering the third. Instead, the Flyers had an opportunity in front of them: win a period, win a game. They won the third period with continued timely saves and timely goals to go with it. Here are five takeaways from Thursday’s win over the Devils.
Saturday’s game in Boston further exposed the Flyers flaws. The Bruins struck for the first goal of the game in the first and out-shot the Flyers, 10-4, in the opening period. A late second-period goal put the Bruins up by two, then everything unraveled again, as the Flyers were routed for the second time this week, losing 6-1.
The Flyers managed to get a point in Thursday’s game with a late power-play goal that tied things up and forced overtime and the eventual shootout, but it is a relatively lucky point for the Flyers to earn, given how the game played out. It could have easily been two points…and it could have easily been no points. Five takeaways from Thursday’s shootout loss to the Bruins.
The Flyers took a 2-0 lead to the third and gave it all back in a span of 2:06. Two Bruins goals tied the game early in the third, starting a frantic back-and-forth scoring barrage. Ultimately, the game was capped off with a shootout, and the Flyers couldn’t find a way to score while the Bruins got the only goal necessary, winning the game, 5-4.
