Flyers Drop Fourth In a Row to Capitals
The Flyers fell to the Captials in a very competitive 5-3 loss. While unlucky in the result, Philadelphia did have many positive moments throughout the night and probably deserved a better outcome.
Period 1
5v5 CF: 10 CA: 18 CF%: 37.51 SF: 11 SA: 8
The Flyers and Capitals played a nearly even first period, with both teams able to effectively hide their short comings. The Flyers were able to limit extended periods of play in their defensive end and were able to get controlled exits from the zone. The Caps were still prone to mistakes in high danger areas, but were able to escape unscathed.
The Flyers were able to seize an early powerplay, a trip drawn by Max Willman. Even though they did not score, and did not register a high danger chance, it was not a momentum swinging disasters as has been the Flyers’ tradition of late. It looked as though there was a chance the team might be coming out of their power play funk.
The Capitals started to tilt the ice in their favor as the period continued, but not in a sustained manner. There was no prolonged pressure where it appeared the Flyers would collapse. Jones also appeared to be sharp and moving well. That is what made the Capitals’ strike so surprising.
Michal Kempny was able to launch a shot from the point that found its way by Jones. It was an accurate shot, though not overly hard. Jones was unlucky when the goaltender tried to look, unsuccessfully, to his left around a screen. Kempny’s drive came in from his right side and he never saw it. While Jones would probably want a redo, it is hard to fault the keeper, it is just one of the goals where everything fell into place.
The Flyers looked a little shaky for the remaining 85 seconds of the period, but were able to regroup enough to end the period trailing by only one.
Period 2
5V5 CF: 19 CA: 8 CF%: 70.37 SF: 12 SA: 6
The Flyers started the period in the same wobbly fashion in which they ended the first and needed Martin Jones to stop them from sliding into the abyss. The team stabilized and seemed to find some energy as Scott Laughton laid a heavy hit on Michal Kempny in the offensive zone. This drew Laughton into a tussle with Trevor van Riemsdyk who was protecting his partner. It was not all that brutal a bout, but Laughton seemed to get the better of it, and earned the team a powerplay with TVR’s instigation penalty.
The Flyers powerplay did not look putrid in the first period, but the initial effort from the first unit seemed to be headed in that direction. Mercifully the second unit took the ice, and looked energized and not completely clueless. They were able to move the puck twice to Gerry Mayhew for one timers. The first missed the net and the second, off a perfect feed from Lindblom, found its way behind Samsonov. It was a great bit of puck retrieval, puck movement and shooting.
The 1-1 tie would not last long as the Flyers would find themselves short handed when Isaac Ratcliffe was called for interference when he finished his forecheck. It did seem a mild infraction as compared to some of the stick work or cross checks Giroux and Laughton had endured. The Flyers penalty killers took to the ice and seemed to be handling the Capitals’ powerplay until Cam Atkinson made an unforced error on an unpressured clearing attempt from his defensive zone. The energetic forward sent the puck over the glass and would be penalized for delay of game.
The Flyers managed to survive a Caps’ timeout and 45 seconds of 5 on 3 hockey with Alex Ovechkin ringing a shot off the post. It looked like they had escaped most of the danger, but Joe Snively would make the home team pay.
Snively pounced on a blocked shot in the slot, between Sanheim and Seeler, and took a shot. Jones was equal to the task. Snively was not canceled by either Flyers’ defensemen and was able to pick up his rebound and shoot it past Jones who was trying to battle his way into position through Seeler.
The Flyers could have given up, as this goal was rather deflating given the circumstances of the penalty and the defensive effort. Sanheim sought to make amends. The Flyers were able to break the Capitals’ forecheck with the puck finding Giroux at the left boards of the offensive blueline. Giroux sent the puck cross ice to the right boards in the zone to a streaking Konencny. TK moved into the circle, drawing the Washington defender to him. He was able to find Sanheim skating towards the far post and made a perfect feed which Sanheim roofed. It was one of the prettier goals this season. The Flyers would go into intermission with the score tied at 2.
Third Period
5V5 CF: 9 CA: 10 CF%: 47.37 SF: 10 SA: 11
The third frame started off with a slow and cautious pace that seemed to favor the Capitals who got more chances over the period’s first few minutes. That changed when the captain Claude Giroux drew a holding call leading to a Flyers powerplay. Twenty-one seconds into the advantage, Laughton was tripped by Tom Wilson in scary fashion. It was not a clean hit, but it was not the dirtiest of Wilson’s tricks. Laughton and the Flyers should be grateful.
The Flyers looked in control during their two-man advantage, but only had one chance that was close, a Konecny shot on the doorstep set up by a JVR retrieval. The Capitals survived and were able to draw a tripping penalty on Scott Laughton moments after the Flyers’ powerplay concluded.
The Capitals seemed to be finding their legs on their powerplay and were able to generate chances, but the Flyers were able to hold by winning loose pucks and taking advantage of clearing opportunities.
Like we have seen so much this season, bad powerplays seemed to sap the energy of the team on the advantage. The Capital malaise carried into 4 on 4 play where the Flyers were controlling the puck and tempo. Just as the teams got back to 5 on 5 Gerry Mayhew was able to beat Samsanov off of a pretty Sanheim feed.
Things were looking up for the Flyers until the Morgan Frost’s line got pinned in their own end, allowing the Caps to set up and control play. A point shot deflected off the leg of Garnet Hathaway and past Jones to tie the game. It was an unfortunate bounce, but goals like these seem to happen anytime the Flyers get stuck in their end.
Things would get worse for the Flyers with an egregious turnover from Provorov to the pesky Carl Hagelin, who found Hathaway in the slot for his second goal in two minutes, giving the Caps a 4-3 lead with less than two minutes remaining.
Washington would add an insurance goal with a bank shot from John Carlson, sealing the game and a 5-3 win for the Caps.
The Flyers played well tonight, with a few critical errors, but should feel unlucky in the result. The team will try to build off the positives, like the play of Mayhew and Lindblom, but will not get a chance to right the ship until Monday.