FLYERS COME OUT FLAT, CAN'T RECOVER IN 4-1 LOSS TO DUCKS
A terrible first period and an inability to solve a physical, aggressive Anaheim Ducks until it was too late doomed the Philadelphia Flyers to a third straight loss, as the Flyers fell 4-1 at the Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday night. Anaheim has won nine of its last 11 games.
While the Flyers played generally strong games but were done in by a few mistakes and bad breaks in their weekend games against the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals, they were thoroughly outplayed by the Ducks for most of this game.
“Honest answer, nothing is going to come easy at this time of year," Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol said. "Teams are competing hard for every single point. If you’re a little bit off as we were tonight it’s going to cost you.”
Was it a matter of the Flyers playing five games in eight nights? Was it the product of an emotional hangover from the tough losses over the weekend coupled with a hungry Ducks team eager to atone itself for a horrid showing in Pittsburgh on Monday?
“You can say all the excuses you want. It comes down to us. If we don’t win games, we aren’t going anywhere. We are not going to sit back and play the blame game. We got to look at ourselves in the mirror and just keep working," defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere said.
In the first period, the Flyers failed to compete for pucks and real estate and did not have their feet moving. Over the course of the game, the Flyers took five hooking minors and a hooking-related infraction that led to Anaheim being awarded a penalty shot that gave them a 3-0 stranglehold on the game.
As the game progressed, Philadelphia had opportunities to climb back into the game but got repeatedly sidetracked into undisciplined play.
"I think we didn’t really focus on the game; we focused a lot on their players. I think we just gotta play the game, you know? Just don’t worry about the details and worry about tallying more goals than them," Claude Giroux said.
In the meantime, the Flyers yielded an early Anaheim power play goal. On their own man advantage, Philly was not able to connect on the power play until late in the game (going 1-for-7 overall).
"They were good," Jakub Voracek said. "They have a lot of big bodies and it’s hard to get it through sometimes. They fill up the lanes pretty well. The goal we scored, we just put it on net and jammed it in. We had an opportunity right after but it was too late."
In the first period, Rickard Rakell tallied his 2th and 13th goals of the season for Anaheim. The Flyers put on a little push earl in the second period before Chris Stewart scored on a penalty shot to extend the Anaheim lead. Andrew Cogliano had an empty net goal in the final minute of the third period.
Winning goaltender Frederik Andersen stopped 28 of 29 Flyers shots. Steve Mason, starting for the fifth time in eight nights, did not have one of his best games but stopped 22 of 25 shots. The second Rakell goal should have been stopped and the team really needed a momentum save on the Stewart penalty shot. Both goals went through the five hole.
"You can’t use [fatigue] as an excuse," Mason said. "You have to get up for these games, this is the most important stretch of the season right now and we’re kind of coming up pretty limp right now. We have to find a way to get back in the winning column here and it’s really not going to get that much easier.”
In a losing cause, Wayne Simmonds notched a power play goal for his 19th tally of the season. Shayne Gostisbehere recorded an assist to extend his point streak to nine games; one away from tying Mikael Renberg (1993-94) for the Flyers' franchise rookie record.
Early in the first period, Radko Gudas (hooking) and Chris Stewart (embellishment) went off for coincidental minors at the 3:28 mark. Mason made quick back-to-back saves during the four-on-four. Shots for the first period quickly piled up to 7-1 in the Ducks' favor within the first 4:36.
Anaheim went to their first power play at 9:10 as Giroux went off for hooking. The Ducks moved the puck around at will and opened the scoing on their 12th shot of the period at 10:27. Rakell parked himself near the net untouched and potted the rebound of a Sami Vatanen shot. Corey Perry got the secondary assist.
At 12:40, the Ducks went back to the man advantage on a delay of game penalty on Voracek. Mason gave up a bad goal after the penalty expired. Rakell used Michael Del Zotto as a screen from the left circle and wristed a shot that went through the five hole. Despite the screen, it was a save Mason absolutely should have made. Perry and Ryan Getzlaf got the assists at 15:08.
"[Del Zotto] did provide the screen there, but at the end of the day [Rakell] kind of opened me up with the way his blade was kind of going towards the far side and then kind of bringing it back. But if it goes through the five-hole, you have to make that save," Mason said.
"it just looked like he was going far side a little bit and it was the same thing with the penalty shot. He was coming in and his blade was open as if he was going to my blocker side and he kind of whips it around and goes five-hole. It’s a tough play, but you have to find ways.”
The Flyers got their first power play at 15:55. Hampus Lindholm got an intererence penalty right off a defensive zone faceoff. Voracek had a right cirle shot that Wayne Simmonds was not able to deflect and Andersen made his fourth save of the period.
Shots in the dreadful first period were 15-5 in the Ducks' favor.
Del Zotto got hit from behind into the end boards by Cogliano at the 13-second mark of the middle frame, drawing a boarding minor on Cogliano. The Flyers did not capitalize but stepped up the pressure thereafter and complied a 6-0 shot edge along with two good scoring chances through the first 6:19 of the middle frame.
A fracas developed near the benches at 7:43. Perry, Kevin Bieksa and Brandon Manning were all penalized and the Flyers got a power play. It didn't last long. After Shayne Gostisbehere lost a stick and went to retrieve another one as the Ducks broke out shorthanded. Voracek got a hooking penalty. Just 24 seconds later, Streit got a hooking penalty and the Ducks suddenly had a 4-on-3 power play. The Ducks then had 27 seconds of 5-on-3 time. The Flyers survived.
Philly yieded a breakaway to Stewart, who was awarded a penalty shot at 12:48 as he was hooked at by both Nick Schultz (the player called for the foul) and Mark Streit but still had a decent scoring chance. Stewart went in straight, got Mason to open up the pads and beat Mason through the five-hole for his eighth goal of the season. Mason came way out of the net on the play.
Manning and former Flyers' farmhand Patrick Maroon had a very lengthy and spirited fight in the Anaheim zone at 14:44. Mason stopped an odd-man rush off a Gudas turnover with about four minutes left in the period.
Simmonds took a high stick to the face along the neutral zone boares by Cogliano, who received a double-minor for high-sticking at 18:27. Another get-together ensued when Simmonds poked at an uncovered puck after the whistle. Voracek got the only penalty -- a roughing minor -- out of the multi-player scrum.
Shots in the second period were 9-6 Flyers; 21-14 Ducks through two periods.
As the Flyers went to the power play in the third period, the Flyers got very little going against the NHL's top-ranked penalty kill. Through the first eight minutes of the period, shots were 3-2 Anaheim -- just what the Ducks wanted and the Flyers did not.
With 6:49 left, Ryan Kesler went off for interference. The Flyers got what was officially their sixth power play of the game. Simmonds had a great chance in front early but could not beat Andersen, who made his 22nd save. The next time around, though, Simmonds found the net with a shot that went off Cam Fowler at 13:55 as Simmonds swatted at a Giroux rebound. Gostisbehere extended his point streak to nine games with a secondary assist.
Bieksa closed his hand on the puck trying to make a defensive zone hand pass and went to the box with 3:47 left. Mason was pulled for extra attacker with 2:19 left in the game and 32 seconds on the power play. The Flyers did not execute much of anything.
Cogliano had a breakaway tap-in empty netter at 19:06 to seal the 4-1 final. Simon Despres and Getzlaf got the assists. Shots in the third period were 15-5 Flyers; 29-26 Flyers for the game.
The Flyers will hold an 11 a.m. practice on Wednesday at the Skate Zone in Voorhees, NJ. The Buffalo Sabres come to town on Thursday night.
************
FLYERS LAUNCH 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
On the 50th anniversary of the
NHL granting an expansion franchise to an as-yet-unnamed team in Philadelphia as well as five other cities, the Philadelphia Flyers held a gala kick-off to what will become a season-long celebration of 50 years in Flyers history.
Prior to the game, all of the Flyers players whose jersey numbers have been retired were represented in a special center-ice ceremony to unveil the team's 50th anniversary logo that will be used extensively over the next year. Bernie Parent, Bob Clarke, Bill Barber, Mark Howe and Donna Ashbee (wife of the late Barry Ashbee) were on hand for the unveiling along with charter season ticket holders Edgar Weinrott and Joe Sahina. Afterwards, Clarke assisted Mr. Weinrott in the dropping of the ceremonial opening faceoffs.
After the first period, Paul Holmgren cut a 50th anniversary cake that was served to the media. Holmgren, of course, is the only person in franchise history who has been a player, head coach, general manager and now club president.
Flyers team president cuts Flyers 50th Anniversary cake.
There is much to celebrate over the next year and plans are underway for a host of big events and and commemorations. There will be much more to come about those things in the weeks to come. For now,
this is just a teaser of things the Flyers have in store:
* A special 50th anniversary jersey that will be worn in select games next season.
* A Flyers Alumni vs. Penguins Alumni game at the Wells Fargo Center.
* Five special Flyers Heritage Nights: On opening night, all Flyers Hall of Fame inductees will be represented. Later in the season, there will be a Captains Night (featuring every player who has worn the C for the team), Tough Guys Night, Goalies Night and Playoff Heroes Night.
* In the fall, Jay Greenberg's
50th Anniversary History of the Flyers -- a coffee table book that will add a new volume covering 1996-2016 and special sections on the top 50 figures and top 50 moments in franchise history to a re-released version of
Full Spectrum to comprise one (very thoroughly) comprehensive history of the franchise.
* Every single day of next season, there will be a variety of special 50th anniversary season content released in a variety of team-operated media.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
Join the Discussion:
»