WRAPUP: FLYERS FAMINE CONTINUES IN 3-0 LOSS IN MINNESOTA
The Philadelphia Flyers are glad to be done with the Minnesota Wild this season. Shut out 1-0 at the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday, the Flyers sustained a 3-0 loss at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Tuesday. Philly was unable to solve Minnesota Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk over 120 minutes of hockey and 62 shots on goal.
The Flyers (8-8-2) have now been shut out five times in the season's first 18 games. Dubnyk, who had a 41-save shutout against the Montreal Canadiens before the home-and-home against the the Flyers earned his third consecutive shutout.
A goal by Nino Niederreiter (3rd) of the season in the first 12 seconds of the game proved to be all that Dubnyk would need. The Wild later tacked on late third period empty-net goals by Eric Staal (6th) and the red-hot Jason Zucker (10th overall, 7th in his last four games).
As with Saturday's game, much of the Flyers attack was confined to the perimeter. When there was traffic in front, shots didn't get through. In the relatively few situations when there were loose pucks in front, Minnesota got to them first. Lastly, Dubnyk made a handful of tough saves, including a third-period breakaway by Dale Weise and a couple of flurries by the Scott Laughton line. Dubnyk also benefited from 16 blocked shots. The Flyers missed the net 11 times as well.
Brian Elliott did not see a lot of shots -- 18 overall -- but was tested on his share of tough opportunities. Elliott did his job in keeping the team close.
Shifted from left wing to center, Jordan Weal lost the opening faceoff to Staal. The Wild dumped the puck in the offensive corner. Ivan Provorov retrieved it but then uncharacteristically had his pocket picked by Staal. In the meantime, Weal was caught out of position and was unable to get back to defend from the dot down as Staal found an open Niederreiter in the lower circle. Robert Hà¤gg rotated over to help but could not block the shot as Niederreiter beat Elliott over the shoulder at the 12-second mark.
The Weal line generated a fair amount of pressure in the first period but the Flyers as a whole didn't get much going. First period shots were 7-6 in Minnesota's favor.
Apart from a shift in which they got hemmed deep in their own zone (further hindered by Travis Konecny breaking his stick) for nearly two minutes, the Flyers generated their most sustained pressure during this stanza. Philly led in shots 17-7.
The third period saw the Flyers post a narrow 7-6 shot edge but post another goose egg on the scoreboard. With Elliott pulled for a 6-on-5 attack, the Flyers had a great chance to score but were unable to get the puck to Wayne Simmonds near the left post. Claude Giroux took a desperation hooking penalty as the Wild countered but Staal scored on the delayed call to wash it out. Zucker added an extra insurance tally with a long-distance empty netter.
The Flyers went 0-for-2 on the power play and 1-for-1 on the penalty kill.