Observations from the Flyers' preseason shutout loss to Montreal

With a roster mismatch going in the Flyers' favor on Sunday afternoon, it was the exact opposite on Monday night. While the Flyers did have more NHL-level players in the lineup against Montreal, it was clear the Canadiens had more of their top guys playing.

That resulted in a 5-0 shutout loss as Montreal took advantage of the fatigue that the Flyers began to feel, especially in the third period. That's to be expected in the beginning stages of a John Tortorella training camp.

The Flyers won't play again until Thursday and have Tuesday off, so there are a few days to regain their energy. There will almost certainly be cuts before the team takes the ice again. Expect it to be mostly players returning to their junior clubs.

But for now, here are three observations from the Flyers shutout loss to the Canadiens.

Eetu Makiniemi makes his case

Makiniemi has a huge opportunity and a solid chance to earn a contract from the Flyers. In his first game action, he looked calm and collected. He made some huge saves to keep Philadelphia in the game during his 30+ minutes of play. Makiniemi finished with 13 saves on 14 shots, with the only goal coming off a brutal turnover in the zone during the first period.

There's not much he could've done there. With no Alexei Kolosov in the picture, Makiniemi is the favorite to suit up with Cal Petersen in the AHL. After a disastrous performance from the latter, Makiniemi could also be the first call-up option if he remains with the team after camp.

Ronnie Attard's stock continues to drop

Attard's spot on the depth chart has taken a hit since he debuted with the team toward the end of the 2021-22 season. He started camp on a pair with Carter Sotheran, which isn't a great indictment of how the Flyers see him. Attard did nothing to help himself against the Canadiens.

On the first goal, he had the puck poked off his stick in the defensive zone, which allowed Jared Davidson to chip the puck to Luke Tuch for the opening goal. Attard also took a cross-checking minor, trying to use his physicality a bit more.

It didn't lead to to a goal, but Attard turned the puck over again as he tried to send it up the boards. It forced Louie Belpedio into a penalty to prevent another goal in the second. It went from bad to worse in the third when he didn't take Josh Anderson out of the play in the neutral zone, allowing him to streak to the net and score Montreal's fourth goal.

Attard is a hard worker and always comes to the rink with a smile on his face. But with the Flyers wanting him to be better defensively, this game is not going to do anything to help him.

Rasmus Ristolainen looks sharp in return

If you want to take another positive out of this game, it has to be Rasmus Ristolainen. The defenseman was limited to 31 games last season after two different injuries to the same area cost him time. He ended up needing two surgeries, one during the season and one at the end. The frustration for Ristolainen is evident as he is making it a goal to be healthy and play in his first season opener with the Flyers.

The results were promising in his first game action since February. Most of his numbers came from the first period, but it was a good one. He had three shots, four hits, and blocked three shots. Ristolainen also looked good on a PK that went 3-for-3 on the night and was forced to kill off a 5-on-3.

Having Ristolainen healthy for an entire season is important. He has taken strides forward since joining the Flyers. In a system where John Tortorella preaches compete level as something he is looking for, Ristolainen lays it all out on the ice.

Other Observations

• Cal Petersen finished with eight saves on 12 shots. While it was not all his fault, there were some moments where a save would've been nice to see.
• Hunter McDonald flashed his physicality, a big part of his game that the Flyers have enjoyed. He had three hits and two blocks in just over 17 minutes.
• Anthony Richard showed off his speed, drawing a penalty at one point with a strong drive to the net. He has a chance to break camp as a depth forward.