Flyers Fall in Fifth Straight to Mighty Hurricanes
The Flyers fell again, as against Washington, in a competitive game, this time to Rod Brind’Amour’s Carolina squad. It was another good effort by the team that should objectively be looked at as a positive,though it is hard to do so in the context of a losing streak.
First Period
CF: 18 CA: 12 CF% 60.00 SF: 11 SA: 2
The first period saw the teams play each other level for the first half of the period. Travis Konecny had a nice chance from the slot in the first minute that tested the Canes keeper Andersen. The Canes would respond midway through period with a two on one, Aho setting up Teravainen, who fanned on the finish.
The Flyers would get the game’s first chance on the man advantage. They Flyers managed to control the puck, but never looked dangerous. The power play would expire, leaving Mike Yeo’s team empty handed. If the team does miss Voracek, perhaps it is on the powerplay.
The period would end with the both teams having failed to score. Carolina did look a bit sleepy, leaving a couple of the chances on the table which they could not fully develop.
The Flyers looked relatively solid top to bottom and even dangerous in short segments and accumulated a huge shot differential advantage. Travis Konecny and Isaac Ratcliffe stood out on the ice as players who seemed to be around the puck the most against one of the league’s best teams.
Second Period
CF: 13 CA: 16 CF% 44.83 SF: 13 SA: 11
Things took a bad turn for the Flyers in the second period as Travis Sanheim, who has struggled mightily this season, misplayed a lobbed puck, leaving it on the doorstep for Nino Niederreiter who buried the chance past an unprotected Martin Jones. This is not the first time that Sanheim has failed to make a play that immediately cost the Flyers.
Gerry Mayhew would respond just thirty-five seconds later as an attempted behind the back pass deflected off of Sebastian Aho and past Andersen. While this may be considered only puck luck by many, Mayhew grabbed the rebound, faked a shot to draw Andersen and then made a nifty behind the back pass that certainly would have been finished by a waiting Atkinson if not for Aho’s intervention.
After breaking the seal on scoring, the Canes found their legs, raising the pace and their forechecking intensity. The Flyers attempted to join the horse race, which is not good idea, when they have horses like Willman and MacEwan and the Canes have Aho, Svechnikov and Teravainen who combined for the Canes second goal.
While Teravainen scored the goal, it was Svechnikov who made the magic by circling behind the goal with the puck, finding a wide open Teravainen who banked the puck off an unaware Nick Seeler and past Jones.
Though the Flyers trailed 2-1 at the periods end, Scott Laughton made a highlight worthy set up on a beautiful shorted handed rush that ended with a Sanheim shot that was deflected wide. It was a nice bit of penalty killing that has been absent for most of the season, and another underrated play by Laughton.
Third Period
CF: 20 CA: 21 CF%: 48.78 SF: 14 SA: 10
The period started with a fast pace, which should have favored the talent laden Carolina squad, but the Flyers carried play. Carolina was playing its third game in four days, so perhaps fatigue was developing in the Hurricane players.
Patrick Brown was not tired and was able to score after Isaac Ratcliffe forced a turnover behind the net. The rookie slid the puck through crease, to Brown, who buried the chance and tied the game at two.
It did not take long for the Hurricanes to respond when Vincent Trocheck was able to flip a back hand off a deflected shot and past Jones. Ristolainen blocked the initial shot from the point and then did not cover either Carolina player he was left to defend. The Hurricanes were able to will themselves back into the lead 3-2.
The Flyers had another powerplay opportunity against the top ranked Hurricane penalty kill, but things went horribly awry. They had trouble controlling the puck and gave up brutal 3-on-2 as the penalty expired, only saved by a Yandle back check.
The Flyers got a spark from Zac MacEwen who beat Ian Cole bloody in a bout on Cole’s birthday. While it gave the Flyers some emotional jump it also took the Hurricanes down to four defensemen, as Tony DeAngelo had been out since the second period.
On the heels of the fight, the Flyers were able to keep the Hurricanes pinned in their own zone for a prolonged period, allowing for a line change. The Flyers fresher players were able to win a net mouth scrum where the puck trickled across the goal line. The goal was credited to Lindblom who deflected the puck and had it click off his skate and through Andersen.
It was an effort goal that took advantaged of exhausted Carolina players. The score would remain tied at three as regulation ended.
Overtime
The three on three overtime allowed the Hurricanes to spell their defensemen, and that made a huge difference early as the Flyers looked to be almost stationary in the face of the Hurricane speed. Philadelphia was lucky to survive Aho’s first shift as he dominated the puck and had them reeling. The play of Martin Jones was the only thing keeping the Canes from their victory.
After weathering Aho’s terror, the Flyers were able to generate two chances that could have ended the game in a win, but Giroux and Atkinson were unable to solve the netminder. Their luck would eventually run out as Brad Pesce would beat Konecny to a Trocheck pass and beat Jones high from in close.
The Flyers gave a good effort against a Stanley Cup favorite, salvaging a point. But as in the game against Washington, it seems this game was in their reach to claim outright.