The Flyers won against the struggling New York Islanders in a close contest. In this match up the Flyers combined their most dominant stretches of play to date with the mistakes that have plagued the team to this point in the season.
First Period
CF:10 CA:11 CF%: 47.62%
The Flyers put together a very strong initial period despite a stretch where they gave up 7 chances while getting only one. What was interesting is they had 3 controlled zone entries in this six-minute span and only generated a single shot attempt, a backhand, that was well wide, by Robert Hagg.
By contrast, during this same spell, the Islanders got 5 of their seven chances off of offensive zone faceoffs. The most dangerous chance was a 3 on 2 shot by Mathew Barzal on the heels of Hagg’s shot attempt.
The Flyers steadily chipped away for the remainder of the period with an effective forecheck that closed the gap in shot attempts and gave Joel Farabee his first goal of the night.
Second Period
CF:12 CA:7 CF%: 63.16%
This would be the most dominant period in CF% for the Flyers. In the opening minute the team would concede a powerplay goal that allowed the Islanders to tie the game. The home team would retake the lead less than two minutes later on Farabee’s second goal of the night.
Laughton would gain the zone and take a shot that was deflected wide. Over the next 15 seconds the Flyers would possess the puck, passing on shot attempts, until the puck came to JVR in the corner. Before the puck came to him, in a low danger area, the Flyers passed on 3 reasonably good shots, two from the point and one just above the left circle. JVR would find Farabee at the left faceoff dot where he one-timed a shot past Sorokin.
The Flyers passed up three reasonable shots before the puck came to JVR in the corner at the goal line. It was reminiscent of basketball style ball movement where it is passed around the perimeter until some one gets an open shot. I think there has been an emphasis on high quality shots for the Flyers, and Farabee’s second goal is a text book example.
Third Period
CF:18 CA:13 CF%: 58.06%
The Flyers would be pinned in their own end for most of the first minute of the third period. They did not get the puck past center ice for a 40 second span, in which the Islanders were able to change and the Flyers were not. The Islanders were patient, rotating the puck, tiring the defenders and actually splitting the defensive pairs, much like in last season’s playoffs. Sanheim had started the period with Myers and was out with Provorov when the goal was scored 63 seconds later.
The Flyers would enter a second dominant stretch, with a +10 corsi differential, but were unable to get one past the Islander net minder. The Islanders would score on their third attempt of the period, which tied the game and all but halted the Flyers’ strong play.
Corsi Winner
PHI Michael Raffl CF:13 CA:2 CF%:86.67
Raffl barely out performed his linemates, Bunnaman and Aube-Kubel in CF%. The three of them were effective on the forecheck and caused misery for the Islanders all night. Raffl and this fourth unit’s strong performance were a welcome sight and a major factor in the team’s positive corsi statistics.
Corsi Losers
NYI Cal Clutterbuck, Casey Cizikas CF:3 CA:13 CF%:18.75
The Clutterbuck-Cizikas-Martin line was woefully ineffective on this night and was part of the reason that the Flyers appeared to be so dominant. Clutterbuck and Cizikas are at their best when they are physical on the forecheck and are wearing down their opponents. They did just that routinely in last year’s playoff series.
It is not unusual for Clutterbuck and company to have a CF% in the forties, but below twenty is a good indication that their forechecking game was off on this night.
Conclusion
CF:40 CA:31 CF%: 56.34
The Flyers had a marginal corsi advantage over the Islanders, but it looked and felt bigger. It is, in light of their negative corsi play so far this season. The corsi stats, with out context, tell a story of a contest that started out evenly with the Flyers pulling away in the second and third period to a comfotable victory.
In some regard the corsi stats were correct. It was a close game early and the Flyers pulled out a victory, but they never pulled away. In fact, the Islanders were lethal in the short time they had a possession advantage (zone time, not corsi) in the third period and capitalized on opportunities that the Flyers offered through bad luck and misplaced aggression. In some ways it was like the Flyers got a taste of their own medicine.
The corsi stats and the eye test indicate that the Flyers are tightening up their game which should be welcomed. They will need it as the Bruins, who took four points from them so far this season, are next on the schedule.