Wanna blog? Start your own hockey blog with My HockeyBuzz. Register for free today!
 

Wrap: Familiar Issues Cost Flyers in 6-4 Loss to Devils: Phantoms @ WB/S

April 28, 2021, 6:36 AM ET [169 Comments]
Bill Meltzer
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Wrap: Familiar Issues Cost Flyers in 6-4 Loss to Devils

In a game that both teams deserved to lose, the New Jersey Devils ended a 10-game winless drought with a 6-4 decision over the Philadelphia Flyers at the Prudential Center on Tuesday evening. The Flyers battled back from deficits of 3-0, 4-3 and 5-4 but eventually ran out of comebacks.

A late-game block by Matt Tennyson on what looked like a certain goal for Sean Couturier and a Mackenzie Blackwood save on Claude Giroux from the slot thwarted the Flyers' final bids to draw even before an empty netter in the waning seconds sealed the final outcome.

For the Flyers, a slew of all-too-familiar problems cost them a winnable game against a very fragile-looking Devils team:

* The Flyers' first period performance was nothing short of dreadful. Even apart from going off trailing, 1-0, Philly mustered only a measly three shots on goal and wasted a four-minute power play with barely any pressure created let alone bonafide scoring chances in quantity (Giroux hit the post early in the power play; the closest the Flyers came).

* Special teams letdowns: The Devils were 2-for-2 on the power play, the Flyers were 0-for-2. That will put a team behind the eight-ball time and time again.

* The Flyers' tendency (and New Jersey's) to give up a goal right after scoring/yielding one reared its ugly ahead yet again. On this night, the game winning goal by Yegor Sharangovich was scored off a communication miscue behind the Flyers' net a mere 11 seconds after Couturier tied the game at 4-4 on a seeing-eye shot from the left side boards.

* Neither the Flyers team defense nor the goaltending of Brian Elliott was nearly good enough on this night to deserve a victory. Phil Myers, apart from finally scoring his first goal of the season, had a particularly rough night in what's been a rough season. He got torched by defenseman Connor Carrick on the goal that made it a 4-3 lead for New Jersey after goals by Myers and Claude Giroux spaced 1:10 apart drew the Flyers even at 3-3.

Oskar Lindblom's eighth goal of the season got the Flyers quickly back from a 3-0 to 3-1 deficit in the second period; Lindblom scored on a three-shot barrage with Jackson Cates (1st NHL assist) and Nolan Patrick that, in the span of about 2.5 seconds, matched Philly's entire shot total from the first period.

For New Jersey, goals by Nico Hischier (power play), Pavel Zacha (power play) and Miles Wood built a 3-0 lead before Lindblom's goal. Hischier then thought he had a second goal but replays showed the puck hit the post and never went in, resulting in a "good goal" ruling on the ice to be reversed and the goal disallowed.

Elliott stopped 23 of 28 shots in taking the loss. Blackwood did not impress, either, but got the win with 25 saves on 29 shots.

Egor Zamula made his NHL debut for the Flyers in this game; becoming the 30th Lehigh Valley Phantoms player (since the team's relocation from Glens Falls, NY, to Allentown) to earn a callup to the Flyers. Travis Sanheim was credited with the goal that made it 4-4 after postgame replays showed that Sean Couturier's shot deflected off him.

The Flyers and Devils will rematch on Thursday at the Prudential Center and Saturday at the Wells Fargo Center.

*********

Preview: Phantoms vs. WB/S Penguins

Scott Gordon's Lehigh Valley Phantoms (15-4-3) are on the road on Wednesday to take on J.D. Forrest's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (8-11-5) at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Casey Plaza. For the Phantoms, it will be the team's fourth game in six nights. Felix Sandström is expected to get the start in goal for the Phantoms.

On Monday against the Binghamton Devils in Newark, the Phantoms saw a 5-1 lead evaporate but then rescued a 6-5 victory in regulation. A pair of power play goals by Linus Sandin led the way offensively for the Phantoms. Rookie defenseman Cam York recorded his first three points (1g, 2a) in the AHL during the Phantoms' five-goal first period. Captain Cal O'Reilly notched three assists to become the 10th player in AHL history to reach 500 career assists.

Wednesday's game is a 7 p.m. EDT start time. The game will be streamed on AHLTV.
Join the Discussion: » 169 Comments » Post New Comment
More from Bill Meltzer
» Flyers Gameday: 3/28/24 @ MTL
» Wrap: Flyers Lose 6-5 OT Game to Rangers
» Flyers Gameday: 3/26/24 @ NYR
» Quick Hits: Flyers-FLA Wrap, Flyers Daily, Phantoms, Bigger than Hockey
» Flyers Gameday: 3/24/2024 vs. FLA; Phantoms Update