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Quick Hits: Flyers Drop 4-3 Decision to Devils |
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Flyers Drop 4-3 Decision to Devils
Playing for the fifth time in seven nights, the Philadelphia Flyers needed to dig deep and play a focused, disciplined game against the New Jersey Devils. It didn't happen for the Flyers, even in knowing that they were beginning a critical five-game stretch where they desperately need to collect as many points as possible before they start running into teams above them in the standings come April.
The Flyers lost 4-3 but that was only because of yet another late desperation comeback bid in the third period that fell short; an all-too-common occurrence in what has been a disastrous month of hockey for the club.
Philadelphia's sins were all too familiar, and as costly as ever. Two turnovers were turned rapidly into New Jersey goals. Philly trailed first due to yielding a 2-on-1 rush. The Flyers allowed last-minute goals in the first and second periods. There were three golden chances to pull even while trailing 2-1 in the second period -- one on a power play, one on a shorthanded 2-on-1, the other on a shorthanded breakaway -- but none were converted into goals.
The Flyers didn't have much jump in the first period in particular, right on the heels of putting forth a strong 60-minute effort in an eventual 2-1 OT loss to the Islanders one night earlier. The Devils doubled up the Flyers in high-danger chances at 5-on-5 per Natural Stat Trick (10-5). Relying on late multi-goal comeback efforts is a recipe for losing most of the time.
New Jersey took a 2-1 lead to the first intermission. The Devils sandwiched one even strength 2-on-1 goal by Michael McLeod (4th goal of the season) and a Kyle Palmieri power play goal (6th) in the final six seconds of the period around a Joel Farabee power play tally (14th) that temporarily knotted the score.
After several near-misses by the Flyers, New Jersey built a 3-1 lead on a goal by Yegor Sharangovich (7th) as play near the midpoint of the second period. Travis Zajac (4th) scored from the doorstep with 24 seconds left in the frame to make it a 4-1 game. Sean Couturier (7th) got one back on a transition rush at 11:37 of the third period. Couturier scored again on a 6-on-5 with 1:02 left.
Carter Hart stopped 28 of 32 shots in a losing cause. Mackenzie Blackwood denied 30 of 33 Flyers shots.
The Flyers went 1-for-3 on the power play and 3-for-4 on the penalty kill.
For more, see the Postgame 5 on the Flyers official website.
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Fletcher Press Conference
Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher will hold a video media conference tomorrow at 1 p.m. ET. He will discuss the state of the team, the trade deadline, injury and prospect updates, etc. I will post a transcript of the session later in the day tomorrow on HockeyBuzz.
The Flyers players have an off-day tomorrow. They will host the New York Rangers at the Wells Fargo Center on Thursday evening and Saturday afternoon.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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