Flyers Settle for Comeback Point in Toronto
The Philadelphia Flyers earned one point in the standings the hard way last night in Toronto. The team once again relied on its comeback ability to erase a multi-goal deficit. The Flyers dug deep enough to outscore enough of their own sloppy defensive mistakes to battle back from deficits of 2-0 and 3-2 but suffered one final breakdown in overtime that ultimately cost the team a 4-3 overtime loss to the Maple Leafs.
Kimmo Timonen scored a pair of goal for the Flyers and also hit the post on two other attempts. Braydon Coburn tied the game in the third period. The Flyers now have gotten a combined 29 goals from their defense corps this season.
For Toronto, the top line trio of Phil Kessel, James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak did not end up getting on the scoreboard despite generating numerous scoring chances. The damage was done by other lines, as Joffrey Lupul scored the overtime winner and assisted earlier on a Nazem Kadri goal. The Leafs also got a goal from defenseman Jake Gardiner and third liner Mason Raymond. Jonathan Bernier stopped 28 of 31 shots to earn the win.
Otherwise, there was not very much new that was learned either about the Flyers or Maple Leafs. There are nights during the seasons where expectations are confounded. This wasn't one of those nights. Both Toronto and Philadelphia played up -- and played down -- to their scouting reports.
It was already well-known that the Flyers are resilient and confident even when trailing. There was no secret that the Leafs are dangerous off the line rush and the gap control had better be tight to prevent outnumbered scoring chances and to pick up trailers. Likewise, it was no shock either that the Flyers blew multiple defensive assignments or that the even more defensively challenged Leafs were unable to protect leads.
The first two Toronto goals and Joffrey Lupul's overtime winner were all about Flyers players either trying to cheat to the offensive side of the puck, getting outskated or not backchecking. There was no neutral zone containment and the defenders who were back made poor reads. For much of the night, there was no containment over the middle within the defensive zone. The Leafs took full advantage.
The Flyers didn't give Steve Mason much chance on three of the four goals he allowed. He faced a lot of severe tests among the 36 shots on his net, and he actually came up big numerous times to prevent Philly from getting blow out.
The defensemen were not entirely to blame, either. To repeat an oft-stated mantra, defense is about all the players on the ice and not just the guys on the blueline and directly in front of the net. Most goals in hockey are scored because of compounding miscues not individual ones.
For example, many folks love to single out defensemen for blame when they backpeddle rather than challenge in the defensive zone. The thing is, the forward have to help in this. Often there is no other option but to back in when attackers are already able to build up a head of steam through the neutral zone.
Several other times last night -- especially in the first period -- Flyers defensemen tried to stand up onrushing Leafs' attackers one-on-one only to have the Leafs' forward go right around them. James van Riemsdyk did it a couple of times in the first period. At various junctures, Luke Schenn, Andrew MacDonald, Nicklas Grossmann and Mark Streit all got turnstiled on rushes that did not result in goals.
Bottom line: The Flyers have yielded 21 goals in the five games since the Olympic break. They are extremely fortunate to be 3-1-1. Teams that live by trying to outscore bad team defense and relying on comebacks will not be successful for very long.
Mason has ugly stats in the five games since the break, but goaltending has NOT been the problem on the vast majority of the goals. The overtime game-winner last night was a perfect case in point.
Three Flyers (Vincent Lecavalier, Wayne Simmonds and, most egregiously, defenseman Streit) were caught up at the blueline, leaving only Grossmann and the goaltender down low to defend a 2-on-1. Grossmann then failed to prevent the pass from going across the ice. By the time the puck got to a wide-open Lupul's stick, it would have taken the shooter making a mistake to keep the game going.
On the Leafs' opening goal, the Flyers' fourth line forwards did get back to try and help. However, Mason was heavily screened and the defending team never got to Gardiner until it was too late. It is the wingers' jobs to be alert to the defenseman pinching on their side.
The second Leafs goal saw the Flyers' second forward line all get caught deep in Toronto territory as the Maple Leafs turned defense into offense on a 3-on-2 that eventually became a 4-on-2 as goal scorer Kadri skated over the middle. Wayne Simmonds was the only Flyers forward who made a legitimate backchecking effort on the play but never did locate anyone to cover and the defense pairing of Streit and Grossmann got taken to the net. That left a huge gap in the slot. Brayden Schenn arrived way too late and Vincent Lecavalier never arrived at all.
It is a good thing for the Flyers that they have become the NHL's best comeback team. Mason did his part to give the club a chance to crawl back into the game over the remainder of the first and second periods. Philly settled in as the second period progressed and started to generate regular scoring chances of their own. By the time Timonen scored his first goal late in the second period, there was a strong sense that the Flyers would find a way to get at least one point out of the game.
Philly mounted one of their trademark third period comebacks, as Timonen knotted the game at 2-2. The Leafs re-took the lead on a goal where the Flyers never got their coverage set as they were changing lines, Grossmann never recovered and Mason allowed a fat rebound that eventually went into the net off his pad after initially sitting near the goal line.
With 2:32 remaining in regulation, Coburn threaded a point shot through traffic -- the scorers ruled that no Flyers forward deflected it -- to send the game to overtime. That at least put the Flyers one point ahead of the third-place New York Rangers in the Metropolitan Division standings.
The Flyers controlled the overtime in territorial possession but were guilty of a bit of over-passing. Toronto's eventual game-winning goal was their only shot or scoring chance of the extra frame. That's all they needed, as ex-Flyer forward Lupul sealed the hard-fought victory.
Struggling third line winger Steve Downie (flu) did not play last night for the Flyers. He was replaced in the lineup by Jay Rosehill, who had been a healthy scratch the previous 10 games. Rosehill had a spirited bout in the second period with Frazer McLaren in what turned out to be a good heavyweight bout. Rosehill took most of the early punishment and then came back strong in the latter part of an active, tiring fight.
The Flyers came out on the wrong end of a disallowed goal early in the second period with the Leafs leading 2-0. On the play, the referee behind the net (I believe it was Kevin Pollock) let play continue and then pointed to the net as Matt Read jammed the puck home past Bernier. Unfortunately, trailing referee Dean Morton -- who should not have been the one making that call -- blew play dead simultaneously because he thought Bernier had the puck covered, which he briefly did.
The referees had a brief but animated discussion about the sequence. It was clear that the R1 ref was not happy but he deferred to his partner's decision to blow the whistle.
Such is hockey. That didn't cost the Flyers a second point last night. Shoddy team defense did. When a club gives up 21 goals in five games, they should count their blessings if they still end up taking seven of a possible 10 points from those matches.
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ABRAMS FUNDRAISER: UPDATE
Tonight at 5 p.m., Abrams Hebrew Academy will hold its annual Fund Raising Dinner and Casino Royale Night at Congregation Beth El in Yardley, PA. Special guests for the night will include Bernie Parent, Brian Propp, Bill Clement, Joe Watson and Bob "the Hound" Kelly.
All proceeds go to benefit the school. My nephew, Sammy Sherman, attends Abrams and my sister, Liza, helped to organize the event and line up the Flyers alumni guests. The slogan for the night is "Help Abrams Make Its Goal."
Apart from the dinner and casino event, there will also be a host of items available via auction and raffle. The items include:
* Ultimate Flyers Fan Package: Consists of four VIP tickets for a Flyers' 2014-15 season game, an autographed Claude Giroux stick, an autographed Adam Hall mini-helmet, various autographed pucks, photos and hockey cards, a $100 Modells Gift Card, Flyers-themed accessories for your home or office, autographed copies of books by Bill Clement, NHL.com's Adam Kimelman and "Pelle Lindbergh: Behind the White Mask. Available by raffle.
*Autographed hockey stick signed by all three members of the LCB line: Bobby Clarke, Bill Barber and Reggie Leach. Available by auction.
* Autographed Bernie Parent goalie stick. Available by auction.
* Autographed Bernie Parent jersey. Available by auction.
* Autographed box of Bernie Parent's signature line of cigars. Available by auction.
* Jiclee of Bobby Clarke, autographed by the Hockey Hall of Famer. Available by auction.
* Howie Mandel DVD containing his"Guffaw" routine, autographed by Brian Propp. Available by auction.
* Autographed Brian Propp jersey. Available by auction.
* Team USA hockey stick autographed by Jeremy Roenick. Available by auction.
* Team Israel national team hockey jersey, donated by Israeli Hockey Federation. Available by auction.
* Pair of suite tickets to a Flyers game vs. Sabres on April 6 donated by ESPN Radio. Includes food and beverages. Available by auction.
* Pair of front row floor seats for 76ers game vs. Charlotte Bobcats on April 2. Includes access to Cadillac Grille and Lexus Club. Available by auction.
* Pair of tickets to a Philadelphia Eagles tickets for a 2014 season game. Available by auction.
* Autographed Troy Polamalu football. Available by auction.
* Disney package: Airfare for two, four one-day passes, two nights of hotel in Orlando. Available by raffle.
* Assorted theater tickets. Available by auction.
* Kids' summer camp packages. Available by auction.
* Executive suite for up to 25 people at a Camden River Sharks game. Available by raffle.
* Four tickets to Yankees vs. Angels at Yankee Stadium on April 27, Section 216, Row 3. Available by auction.
* Much more, including a basketball autographed by the Atlanta Hawks and other items.
For more information,
click here.
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