Wrap: Flyers Lead Early, Drop 4-3 Decision in Calgary
On New Year's Eve, the Philadelphia Flyers lost to the Calgary Flames, 4-3, at Scotiabank Saddledome. The Flyers led 1-0 at the first intermission despite being outplayed. The game went to the third period tied at 1-1. The final stanza saw the Flames score three times and the Flyers respond with two late goals before running out of time.
For two periods, the game was a goaltenders' duel between Samuel Ersson and Jacob Markström. Ersson finished the night with 28 saves on 31 shots. Markström stopped 27 of 30 shots.
In back-to-back games now, the Flyers took an early lead they were unable to build up. Each of the last two game were winnable. Philly came away with just one of four points.
The Flyers were playing their third game in four nights, traveling across multiple time zones and crossing back-and-forth from the U.S. into Canada. Multiple players either are -- or have recently -- dealt with an illness. Meanwhile, since Christmas, the Flames have continuously been at home and hadn't played since Wednesday.
While Flyers head coach John Tortorella often disputes the notion that there's such a thing as a genuine fatigue factor in hockey -- opining that "teams talk themselves into feeling tired" -- the Flyers played like a tired team often looks. They were sloppy, sporadic, and over-reliant on goaltending in stretches because they kept giving up the middle of the ice.
To their credit, the team hung in until the end. Tortorella said after the game than very few of his players played well, and snapping at nearly every question he was asked in a brief postgame press conference. The Flames were nearly as sloppy as the Flyers in various junctures but Philadelphia was unable to capitalize until very late in the game.
After Rasmus Ristolainen (1st goal of the season) converted a feed from Ryan Poehling for a 1-0 lead at 9:44 of the first period, Ersson was the main reason why the Flyers got the game to the first intermission still holding on the narrow advantage. A lost puck battle by Bobby Brink up high in the defensive zone and an accidental partial screen by Poehling on a snipe of a goal by Mikael Backlund (8th at 18:21 of the second period sent the game to the third period tied at 1-1. It was also Backlund who outdueled Brink on the front end of the play before potting a feed from Andrew Mangiapane.
The third period started out being fairly low-event and cautious -- shots on goal were 3-1 Calgary through 6:30 -- the rest of the game was frantic.
At 7:29 of the third period, what started out looking like a routine play along the boards ended up becoming a go-ahead goal for Calgary by unlikely scorer Dennis Gilbert (1st goal of the season). Blake Coleman was ridden into the right side boards by Sean Walker. The puck went to Jonathan Huberdeau with the Flyers overloaded with all five skaters on the right side of the ice. Gilbert had a gaping lane to pinch down the left side. Huberdeau then threaded a pass through the space in between Nick Seeler and Scott Laughton with Cam Atkinson and Joel Farabee located almost directly behind Seeler and Laughton. From the left circle, just above the dot, Gilbert beat Ersson over the blocker to the short side for a 2-1 lead.
Ersson was struck in the mask by a shot, which broke the snap. Earlier this season, Ersson tried to play with his mask ajar rather than shaking it off. That one proved costly. This time, Ersson removed his mask and was called for delay of game at 12:54.
At 14:19, Calgary defenseman Mackenzie Weeger (who had a very rough night) was penalized for tripping Poehling. During the ensuing 4-on-4 before an abbreviated Flyers power play, Poehlin won an offensive zone left circle draw against Nazem Kadri. The puck was initially claimed by Tyson Foerster in the left slot but he had it knocked away from him. The Flames then countered on a 2-on-1 rush as Mangiapane passed ahead to Kadri. Puck carrier Kadri had Mangiapane breaking hard for the net on the other side but elected to shoot. Kadri (10th) beat Ersson at 14:29 to open a 4-2 lead.
The Flyers pulled Ersson for an extra attacker. At 16:36, after Cam Atkinson tipped a Travis Konecny shot attempt to the net, Brink (7th goal of the season) scored from the doorstep to narrown the gap to 3-2.
Ersson returned to the net for the ensuing center ice faceoff, and then returned to the bench when the opportunity arose. The Flyers were now attacking 6-on-5 again with an empty net behind them. From the defensive zone, Owen Tippett tried to make a breakout pass but flubbed and turned over the puck directly onto Coleman's stick. The Flyers never recovered the puck again. Coleman passed across to Mangiapane, who subsequently collected his third assist of the game as he went back across the ice to Coleman (13th) for an empty-net slam dunk and a 4-2 lead.
Philadelphia pulled Ersson yet again when the puck went into the Calgary zone for another 6-on-5. Morgan Frost backhanded a pass through the slot from near the goal line alongside the right post. Konecny claimed it on the other ice and passed back to Egor Zamula at center point. With traffic in front of the net, Zamula wristed a seeing-eye shot (3rd goal of the season, second tally in the last three games) past Ersson into the net at 18:38.
Down 4-3, the Flyers summoned Ersson back to the bench when they had possession. This time, despite three shot attempts (tries by Farabee and Konecny were blocked and a long-range attempt by Atkinson went wide), the Flyers were unable to force another save from Markström. Time expired.
For a period-by-period synopsis, analysis, stats and highlights, see the
Postgame 5 on the Flyers' official website.
With the loss, the Flyers (19-12-5) dropped to 1-1-1 on their four-game road trip. The trip will wrap up on Tuesday with a game against the Edmonton Oilers (18-15-1, wins in five straight games).
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Wrap: Phantoms Lose to Charlotte, 5-2
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms ended the 2023 calendar year by losing back-to-back home games against the Hershey Bears (4-0) and Charlotte Checkers (5-2) to drop back again to "hockey .500" (13-13-5) on the season.
In Sunday's game against Charlotte, the Phantoms fell into a 4-0 hole by early in the second period. Lehigh Valley got two goals back in the middle stanza on a shorthanded goal by defenseman Louie Belpedio (1st) and an even strength goal by fourth line forward Jacob Gaucher (2nd). Charlotte sealed a 5-2 win with an empty net goal with 1:16 remaining in regulation.
Zac Dalpe scored twice (8th and 9th goals of the season) at even strength for Charlotte as the Checkers built a four-goal lead. Brendan Perlini (8th goal,5th assist), Lucas Carlsson (PPG, 10th) and Mackie Samoshovich (ENG, 9th) also tallied for the Checkers.
Spencer Knight earned the win with 29 saves on 31 shots. Felix Sandström took the loss, making 29 saves on 33 shots.
Phantoms rookie forward Alexei Gendron, who celebrated his 20th birthday on Saturday, assisted on the Gaucher goal. He also got into his first fight in pro hockey, as Latvian defenseman Uvis Balinskis went after him for bumping into Knight. Gendron received a goaltender interference minor plus a fighting major. Balinskis got five for fighting.
In the third period, bidding on a 6-on-5 attack to get back within one goal, Gendron appeared to scor as he ripped a shot into the net as Knight fell into the back of the net. The play was initially ruled a good goal for the Phantoms. But after a replay delay and a lengthy conference among the officials, the call was reversed and the goal disallowed. It was ruled that Wade Allison, who'd been pushed from behind by Carlsson -- which normally would cause a goal to stand -- could still have made more effort to avoid contact. Thus, the officials declared the play to be goaltender interference, although not a penalty, and Gendron's would be goal was wiped out.
Belpedio's shorthanded goal. set up by Adam Brooks and Tanner Laczynski at 7:54 of the second period was a blast of a shot after Laczynski and Brooks outworked the Charlotte penalty killers. Gaucher's tally at 12:05 of the second period saw him convert a set-up by defenseman Ronnie Attard. Gendron got the secondary assist.
Sunday's game was a frustrating one for the Phantoms in general and for Allison in particular. Earlier in the game, prior to the questionable goalie interference ruling that wiped out Gendron's would-be goal, Allison had two golden scoring opportunities of his own. One came on a breakaway, the other was an opportunity at the doorstep.
The Phantoms are now idle on the schedule until next weekend. On Saturday, Lehigh Valley has a road game against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (16-12-3).
Lehigh Valley's starting lineup on Sunday night was as follows:
28 Olle Lycksell - 9 Tanner Laczynski - 19 Wade Allison
16 J.R. Avon - 91 Elliot Desnoyers - 27 Samu Tuomaala
17 Garrett Wilson - 24 Adam Brooks - 20 Cooper Marody
29 Alexis Gendron - 56 Jacob Gaucher - 14 Zayde Wisdom
6 Emil Andrae - 7 Louie Belpedio
98 Victor Mete - 12 Ronnie Attard
37 Adam Ginning - 5 Ethan Samson
32 Felix Sandström
[40 Cal Petersen]
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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