Max Willman
The NHL will continue to play the 2021-22 season schedule, citing a low number of positive cases resulting in concerning symptoms or serious illness. The league will continue to monitor positive cases on a club-by-club basis and determine the need to shut down individual teams based on that. The Flyers are still operating, with only two players in COVID protocol as of Sunday morning.
It wasn’t pretty, and against another of the NHL’s bottom-feeder teams, the mistakes being made and the habits continuing to take center-stage are still troubling. But the Flyers also have strung together wins and points, and that’s what was needed against these teams. Now they need to continue to form better habits and apply it, perhaps as soon as next week against some tough Metro Division competition, if the schedule allows.
The Flyers 3-2 shootout loss to the Canadiens makes the performance from Tuesday more of an anomaly. It kills the momentum that this streak was building. It doesn’t help create more of an identity for a team that desperately needs one. So you can throw the positives and good vibes out the window.
The Canadiens snapped the Flyers three-game winning streak and a seven-game losing streak of their own in a 3-2 shootout loss on Thursday night.
Another offensive surge for the Flyers, hats on the ice for Cam Atkinson, and lots of smiles in a dominant win for the Flyers over the Devils to bring their winning streak to three games. But there was also a dose of reality that hit the Flyers in regards to what is plaguing the sports world across the nation.
The Flyers didn’t snap their fingers and suddenly become a force to be reckoned with. There was plenty in their process in this game that left a lot to be desired. But as we’ve done with numerous wins already this season, the Flyers can turn to their goalie and thank him for being the catalyst that ended this streak.
A pair of power-play goals in the third period proved to be the difference, as the Flyers held off the Vegas Golden Knights, 4-3, on Friday night, snapping a 10-game losing streak.
Alain Vigneault announced on Thursday that Rasmus Ristolainen and Patrick Brown will miss Friday’s season opener for the Flyers. In their place, Nick Seeler will play and Max Willman will make his NHL debut.
On Tuesday night, it will be more of a ‘B’ team lineup for the Flyers against the Islanders, as cuts have started to begin, but another chance to see some new faces like Derick Brassard, Rasmus Ristolainen and Martin Jones.
Monday’s win for the Flyers over the Bruins required overtime, despite Boston icing their ‘B’ team. Part of that was quality goaltending. But the Flyers also showed that they are still a work in progress in some areas as the preseason draws closer to an end.
