Outdoor games have not been friendly for the Flyers. Of their six outings, they’ve only managed to win one. And that one win took a miracle comeback late in the third period and an overtime goal fans won’t soon forget. But more often than not, they've been on the wrong end of the scoreboard and have been a part of a few blowouts.
The COVID-19 pandemic shut down the NHL toward the end of the 2019-20 season. Thus, the 2020-21 season didn't begin until January. Despite a 56-game schedule, the NHL still tried to spruce things up with a few outdoor games.
To make up for the cancellation of the Winter Classic and Stadium Series, the league sent four teams to Lake Tahoe in late February. Due to travel restrictions, the league needed to pick teams close enough to the location. The Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights opened up the weekend on Feb. 20. The following day, the Flyers and Bruins took to the ice.
Throughout the season, players frequently entered COVID-19 protocol because of positive tests or close-contact precautions. The Flyers were hit especially hard in early February. They were forced to take a league-mandated seven-day shutdown due to multiple COVID-19 cases. Their next four games were postponed, and they returned to play on Feb. 18.
With that came the Lake Tahoe game, one that probably should've never taken place. And one that felt doomed before the puck even dropped.
Flyers forced to play undermanned in Lake Tahoe blowout
Entering the weekend, the Flyers were without several big names and key players. A total of six players were unable to travel to Nevada due to COVID-19 protocols: Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek, Travis Konecny, Oskar Lindblom, Scott Laughton, and Justin Braun. Giroux and Braun were the first on the list on Feb. 9. Voracek and Frost were added two days later, Lindblom and Laughton were listed the next day, and Konecny was the last two days later.
Because they had already played one game three days prior, the league likely viewed the Flyers as fit to play in the weekend's special event. Their roster was patched together with depth and AHL talent, and saw Maksim Sushko playing in only his second career game.
It didn't help that the Flyers couldn't see the ice at all before the game. A scheduled practice was moved indoors, while a general look at the ice and sight lines was cancelled as well. The latter didn't happen because the Avalanche and Knights were delayed after the first period because of poor ice conditions. That game didn't resume until midnight. Boston was on the same page, though, so that wasn't an excuse.
Before the game even took place, it felt like the Flyers were already at a disadvantage. Missing key players, working with a patched-up lineup, and not being familiar with the ice beforehand, Lake Tahoe saw everything come together in the worst way.
Few will remember the final score of this game, which became secondary to the circumstances surrounding the game. More than any other game that season, this one captured the chaos, uncertainty, and disruptions that defined the 2020-21 season.
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