No hyperbole here, last night’s loss to the Rangers was the single worst Flyers game I have ever watched and I don’t think it is close.
In an absolute embarrassment on national television, the Flyers defense was led by Travis Sanheim and Phil Myers (in all the wrong ways) in a game that ended in a ludicrous 9-0 blowout. A total of seven goals were conceded in the second period alone. Keith Jones and Anson Carter didn’t even know what to say during the intermission. Oh, that’s right, plus the Rangers did not even have their normal coaching staff due to COVID.
You are truly lucky if you could not catch the game, I actually envy you.
This team’s defense has absolutely been bad lately, but no one could have seen that sort of performance coming.
The forwards can improve their defensive contributions as well for sure, there were goals NY scored last night where there could have been better coverage coming back. I just feel the core of the problem is the defensemen themselves. I can’t help but scratch my head when looking at how individuals have been performing.
Sanheim had undoubtedly the worst game in his NHL career, and you might as well say that for Myers too. These are two of our supposedly stronger young defenseman, yet unbelievably they were on the ice for 6 out of the 7 goals scored by New York in the second period.
Myers had me screaming at the TV after he was stripped by Mika Zibanejad, which directly led to a goal to make it 3-0 early in the second, just to name one of many instances.
Brian Elliot was pulled after Ranger defenseman Jacob Trouba scored to make it 5-0 around 7:30 into the second period. The Flyers then were given a powerplay under a minute after the switch. Philly wins the ensuing draw, then the struggling Ivan Provorov trips after receiving the puck. Zibanejad just takes the puck and has himself a shorthanded breakaway, and scores on the first shot against Carter Hart.
Yeah, that is how this game went.
Moose and Hart should take zero blame for this performance, Jonesy said it best here:
The Rangers preceded to score three goals in under six minutes to end the period. Still not sure how they did not score another goal in the third. I just hope this is a game these young defensemen never forget, and use if for fuel to be better.
After the game, Alain Vigneault talked about how the team needs to forget about this one and move on. If there was ever a game to forget about, it was that one, especially when you consider we may have single-handedly gotten Zibanejad out of his scoring funk. Before last night, he had 11 points in 27 games. He now has 17 points and scored a hat trick last night, one goal was on the PP, one was even strength and one was a shorty. Unbelievable stuff.
I am not sure if it is better the team plays again tonight or not, but they get to now face off against the first-place team in the Eastern Division, the New York Islanders. They started off the season inconsistent, but Barry Trotz has had this Islander team rolling lately. No one is scoring at a PPG pace for them, but if you remember from last year’s playoff series this Islander team is very well balanced and hard to play against.
The Flyers are now only three points ahead of the Rangers in the standings, and you better believe that group has more confidence now. With a three point gap between them and the Bruins, the Flyers really need this game. I am looking for strong performances from Claude Giroux and Kevin Hayes tonight to try and help atone for that abomination I sat through last night.
Flyers vs. Islanders, 7:00 PM tonight. Chuck Fletcher will be watching closely (I hope).
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