WRAPUP: FLYERS LATE RALLY FALLS SHORT IN LISTLESS 3-1 LOSS TO CANES
One of the mystifying trends of the second half of the 2014-15 season for the Philadelphia Flyers has been their tendency to step up and play well against top teams and to struggle against fellow non-playoff clubs.
With their 3-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night at the Wells Fargo Center, the Flyers fell to 0-7-5 in their last 12 games against non-playoff opponents and dropped three of four to the Hurricanes this season. Meanwhile, they are 9-1-3 in the last 13 against teams in playoff position at the time of the game.
Regardless of the opponent's record, the Flyers habitually tend to get frustrated against teams that have certain basic characteristics, according to Flyers head coach Craig Berube.
"I think a lot of teams like Carolina gave us trouble this year they skate very well," Berube said after the game. "Columbus gave us trouble too they skate well and are a fast team. They get on you quick. We didn’t do a good enough job in handling that pressure. Both teams are puck pressure teams that skate well.…
Be that as it may, it is still a mystery how the Flyers could look so awful against clubs like the latter three yet they are 2-0-2 over the last two seasons with two 0-0 ties lost via road shootout to an elite club like St. Louis that thrives on the very elements that trip up the Flyers against lesser teams.
On Thursday night, a mid first-period deflection goal by Carolina defenseman Brett Bellemore held up as the lone goal until midway through the third period. A power play one-timer by defenseman Ryan Murphy extended the lead to 2-0 with Michael Del Zotto in the penalty box on a double-minor for high sticking.
The Flyers, who generated very few chances in the opening 55 minutes, finally generated a frenzy of pressure late in the game after twice pulling the goaltender for a 6-on-5. First, Sean Couturier scored a deflection goal to cut the deficit to 2-1 with 3:41 remaining in the game.
Philadelphia came within a whisker of tying the game late, but a Claude Giroux shot that got past the outstretched right pad of Carolina goalie Cam Ward (27 saves) went off the post behind the goaltender. Shortly thereafter, Jordan Staal sealed the 3-1 win with an empty net goal.
Ray Emery played well enough in goal to keep the Flyer competitive in a game where he, too, often went long stretches of inactivity. Emery turned back 24 of 26 shots. He had no chance to stop the Bellemore goal and very little on the Murphy goal.
There were three fights in the game, including two involving Flyers veteran forward Vincent Lecavalier and debuting Carolina rookie defenseman Keegan Lowe. Lecavalier, who picked up 22 minutes worth of penalties, did not return for the third period. Word after the game from Flyers' general manager Ron Hextall was that Lecavalier suffered an upper-body injury and would be re-evaluated on Friday.
The Flyers went 0-for-2 on the power play in the game. Carolina went 1-for-6.
1st Period
Ward swallowed up a Brandon Manning point shot as the Flyers got their first shot of the game at the 2:05 mark. Shots were 3-2 Hurricanes through the first five minutes.
The Flyers got nabbed for too many on the ice at 5:45. Jakub Voracek served the penalty. Philly killed off their first penalty of the game without allowing a shot.
When Nicklas Grossmann blocked a shot out of play for a television timeout at 10:32, shots were still 3-2 Carolina. Carolina got its fourth shot -- a dribbler on in Emery -- at 10:45. That's were things still held at a stoppage at 12:36.
The Canes took a 1-0 lead at 11:48. Bellemore (2nd goal of the season) went to the net and deflected an Eric Staal (31st assist) shot past Emery as Bellemore was getting knocked to the ice by Grossmann. Jordan Staal (18th assist) got the secondary assist.
The Flyers went their first power play at 13:13 on a defensive zone tripping penalty on Jay McClement. They did not score.
With 3:15 left in the period, Couturier generated a 2-on-1 rush in the neutral zone but Matt Read was unable to score on the rebound of Couturier's shot from the right circle. Bellemore blocked the followup shout.
The Flyers got the better of the next few shifts. At the 18:51 mark, shortly after being cross-checked down on a rebound attempt of a Nick Schultz shot, Lecavalier dropped the gloves with Lowe. The rookie got the better of the fight.
Shots were 9-5 Flyers. Faceoffs were 9-8 Carolina.
2nd Period
Michael Del Zotto's deflected shot hit the post in the opening half-minute of the period.
Carolina went to their second power play on a Nick Schultz hooking penalty on Jeff Skinner away from the puck in the defensive zone. The Flyers again killed it off.
Ward fought off a heavy shot by Michael Raffl for a stoppage at the 6:54 mark. Shots for the game were 11-10 at this point.
Shortly after Zac Rinaldo landed an open ice hit on Brad Malone and then Malone hit Brandon Manning behind the Flyers net, Manning fought Malone. Time of the fight was 7:30.
At 9:22, Lecavalier made a beeline for Lowe again and appeared to beat him handily this time in the ensuing fight. Lecavalier got an instigation penalty (served by Voracek) and the automatic accompanying 10-minute misconduct. Carolina went on their third power play.
Read went to the net at nearly scored at the 18:57 mark. Ward had to make perhaps his toughest of 14 stops to this point on the bang-bang chance but the puck was shot right into him.
With 34.7 seconds left, Emery made a shoulder save on Nathan Gerbe from the right slot and then covered up the puck as it dropped directly in front of him.
Shots were 13-5 Ottawa (18-14 Ottawa through two periods). Faceoffs were 15-14 Ottawa (24-22 Ottawa for the game).
3rd Period
Brayden Schenn started the period off with a very strong shift, and nearly scored on a sharp cut-in on the net.
At about two-minute mark, Emery stopped Skinner on a breakaway. Shots were 20-15 Ottawa at this point.
The Flyers went to their second power-play on a Ryan Murphy hooking penalty on Couturier in the Carolina zone at 3:10. Ward cleanly gloved an unscreened Mark Streit point shot with 1:27 left on the penalty. That was all the Flyers generated.
With 14:35 left in the period, Emery stayed with a twisting backhander by Victor Rask between the circles.
Carolina went to its fourth power play at 6:32. Nick Cousins went off on a high-sticking minor. The Canes did not get much going, and the better rushes were actually shorthanded bids by Couturier and Read (missed net).
The Flyers took an icing at the 10:07 mark. Shots were 25-19 Canes at this point.
Del Zotto the box on a high-sticking double minor -- an inadvertent infraction that must have drawn blood -- at the defensive blueline at 10:53. The Canes cashed in with two seconds left on the first half of the penalty to make it a 2-0 lead.
Murphy(fourth goal) blasted a one-timer home from a long stride inside the left point at 12:51. Assists went to John-Michael Liles (20th)and Gerbe (19th). The Canes did not score on the second portion of the power play.
The Giroux line had a chance to cut the gap back to one goal with about 5:15 left, but Voracek was denied on a one-timer from the right circle.
The Flyers pulled Emery for a 6-on-5 attack at 15:55 and an offensive left circle faceoff upcoming. It paid off. The Flyers won possession and eventually scored to make it 2-1.
Couturier (15th goal of the season) deflected home a Streit point shot at the 16:19 mark. Giroux got the secondary assist.
Emery came off again with 1:49 left. Raffl had a one-timer chance from the left hash marks off a feed from Giroux behind the net. Ward made the save.
The Flyers called timeout with 1:39 remaining and another left circle faceoff upcoming. The Flyers applied furious pressure and Giroux hit the post behind Ward on a low blast.
Eventually, the Canes got the puck out and Jordan Staal (sixth goal) scored into an empty net at 19:21 to put the game away at 3-1. Ron Hainsey (eighth) got the lone assist; his eighth.
Shots in the third period were 14-9 Flyers (28-27 Flyers for the game). Faceoffs were 10-9 Carolina (34-31 Carolina for the game).
POSTGAME NOTES AND QUOTES
* The Flyers conclude the season on Saturday afternoon against the Ottawa Senators. With the Senators shutting out the New York Rangers in regulation on Thursday, the Senators need one point against the Flyers to clinch a playoff spot. However, if the Senators lose in regulation and Boston wins, Ottawa is out. Steve Mason is slated to get the start for Philadelphia.
* The Boston Bruins lost against Florida on Thursday. In order to get in the playoffs, the Bruins must win their final game in Tampa Bay and have the Penguins gain zero or one point from their final two game (vs Islanders on Friday and Buffalo on Saturday). A single Pittsburgh win puts the Penguins in the playoffs. If the Senators lose in regulation on Saturday and Boston wins (whether in regulation, overtime or via shootout), Ottawa is out and Boston is in.
* Flyers center Sean Couturier on whether the team plays up or down to the level of its competition: "That’s what it looks like. I think it’s our starts. We don’t come out strong. We seem to take it easy. As the game goes on we play better. We out-worked them (in the third period). That's too late most of the time.…
* Flyers captain Claude Giroux on the same subject: "I think the intensity is not as high when we play good teams, maybe it’s preparation. I’m not too sure what it is, but we need to figure it out.…
* Flyers right winger Jakub Voracek on the same subject: "If you want to make the playoffs, you have to make sure you get up for those games no matter what. We just have to find our grid, find our rhythm. If things don’t go our way we have to keep it simple and stick with it. Maybe it’s going to be 1-0, 2-1. We can just get running around and try to make everything happen on our own. Just stick with it and maybe we can do something in the third period.…
* Voracek on whether the player want to see Craig Berube return as head coach next season: "“We didn’t make the playoffs but that season was on a swing up and down. Obviously he’s a likable coach I think all the players like him and like to play for him. Like I said, obviously it’s hard. It’s hard for me to answer those questions because I don’t know if he’s coming back or no. You have to ask Hextall on that. I had my best season under him, I like him, he’s a likable guy. Obviously I would like him back. Like I said, it’s a question for Hextall. I think this whole thing could be a whole lot successful next year with Chief.…
* Flyers defenseman Brandon Manning on how the game unfolded: "It was kind of a weird game. Not much going on out there. We came out kind of flat. They didn’t do anything special, either. It’s an opportunity lost for us. They trap up the neutral zone really good. Seemed to have 4 or 5 guys back all night. It wasn’t really exciting until the late point.…
* Flyers goaltender Ray Emery on the lack of goal support he got in the two recent games against Carolina: "Carolina plays tight and we saw that all year that are all one goal games. They’re a tough team to play against. It got stronger as the game went on I thought and you know had a chance at the end to tie it up. It’s frustrating when a team kind of gets your number.…
* Emery on the lack of energy from the team -- even after several fights -- and the quiet atmosphere after emotional games against playoff-bound teams: "Yeah, it’s tough you know. It is definitely more exciting when the game means something. Like we’ve said for a while now we have pride. I think you see that the efforts there and we definitely are not packing it in.…
* Impending unrestricted free agent Emery on whether he intends on playing next season and if he would like to return to the Flyers: "Yeah and yeah."
* Emery on his feelings about seeing Lecavalier have the first two-fight game of his career: "You know, Vinny’s earned the right to get respect out there I think. You know we felt that he kind of got disrespected so he took it into his own hands and stuck up for himself.…
* Carolina rookie defenseman Keegan Lowe on Lecavalier coming back at him for a second fight: "Well, obviously I was surprised. I mean there’s no love lost there. The first time it was just a battle and it ended up happening. By no means I was like, ‘Oh, this is Lecavalier.’ It ended up happening, and it’s hockey right? I mean I have no love lost for him. He’s a great a player and he always has been. Like I said, he wanted his lick and he got it. Game’s over we got the win.……‹