Wrap: Flyers Lose 6-5 OT Game to Rangers
The Philadelphia Flyers fell to the New York Rangers in overtime, 6-5, at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday evening. Philly's lead over the Washington Capitals in the battle for third place in the Metropolitan Division -- automatic playoff position -- slipped to a single point. Washington holds two games in hand, and also pulled even in the ROW tiebreaker category (the clubs were already even in regulation wins) after an overtime win over Detroit on Tuesday.
There's a lot to unpack from Tuesday's game in New York. For a period-by-period synopsis, highlights, stats and more, see the Postgame 5 on PhiladelphiaFlyers.com:
Click here.
Here, I will be less clinical about how the game unfolded. I won't delve much into how structured and orderly the Flyers kept the game for the opening 40 minutes and how it turned into a wild affair when the horses escaped the barn -- for both teams -- in the third period. The game was eerily similar to how the March 16 match in Boston unfolded. The only major difference what that Philly lost in regulation in the Boston game and salvaged one point at MSG.
Instead, I'll use today's blog space to discuss the emotional gamut of the last six nights. The Flyers went 1-1-2 during the stretch. I'm not celebrating four of eight possible points, nor am I happy with a 2-3-2 record over the last seven games.
Yes, every game was played against one of the top contenders in the Eastern Conference. Yes, in six of the seven games, the Flyers gave themselves a chance to win entering the third period. In fact, the Flyers held the Bruins and Panthers to a COMBINED 35 shots in two games this past weekend. But there are no "moral victories" this time of the season. When there is scant margin for error, there is only a successful game (AKA two points) or an unsuccessful one.
Moreover, now isn't the time to talk about "valuable experience in big games" for future seasons. That's summertime fodder. Right now, after the trade deadline and in the heat of the stretch drive, the sole focus is on finding as high as possible in the final standings. I'm not even focused on the consolation prize of a wildcard spot: You may notice that I never discuss wildcard scenarios. I'll only do so if it becomes necessary.
In terms of Tuesday's game, I thought there were four clear turning points:
1) The marginal second period Foerster high-sticking penalty and ensuing Mika Zibanejad power play goal that sliced the Flyers' 2-0 lead in half. Before that, the Flyers had the game under control, and the Garden had gone quiet. Afterwards, the Rangers started rolling.
The penalty itself wasn't a great call, but it was also the only time the Flyers were shorthanded all night. My bigger concern: The Flyers penalty kill, which was such a constant team strength all season, has gone cold at the worst possible time. Over the team's last 10 games, the Flyers are just 65.4 percent on the PK (opposing power plays are 9-for-26). In that span, only Anaheim's PK has been less successful (61.4).
The Flyers' excellent full-season PK numbers (84.1 percent overall, ranked third) are masking the recent issues. I understand WHY it's been happening -- the decimation of the blueline due to injuries and the Sean Walker trade, less sharpness in terms of executing clearing opportunities, some spotty goaltending, a couple of ill-timed bad bounces, lots of games against top PP clubs -- but that make me better about it.
2) Going into the third period, the Flyers had one task and one task only: reaffirm the sort of control they exercised over most of the opening 40 minutes. Instead, a bad turnover by defenseman Erik Johnson and ensuing goal by Jonny Brodzinski ripped opened the floodgates for the third period goal-a-thon that ensued. There was puck luck involved on a couple of bounces -- for both teams -- but this was exactly the type of period the Flyers did NOT want to have to play. There was no choice, as Philly fell behind 3-2, 4-3, and 5-4.
3) After Alexis Lafreniere scored the 3-2 goal, John Tortorella wisely called a timeout. It took a few shifts, but the Flyers started to generate a lot of attack thereafter. Travis Konecny's unassisted response goal that temporarily forged a 3-3 deadlock truly started to get the ball roll rolling again offensively on the Philly side. That's where the resilience kicked in, and it was not a surprise that the Flyers pushed back after New York goals to re-tie the score at 4-4 and then at 5-5.
4) We have to discuss what happened in overtime. Theoretically, i understand why the Flyers started sudden death with Ryan Poehling and Noah Cates as their two forwards. They wanted to maximize the chance -- if the opening faceoff was lost, which it was -- to neutralize the deadly trio of Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck and Adam Fox. Philly could then, theoretically, counterattack and get their own offensive-minded forwards (some combination of Owen Tippett, Morgan Frost or Konecny) out on ice as soon as possible.
I get it, but I disagree with it. That approach has now failed three times in big games within the last five-plus-weeks.
* In Toronto on Feb 15, Scott Laughton lost the opening faceoff of sudden death. Toronto controlled the puck throughout the brief OT before scoring at the 54-second mark to end the game. With Toronto on a regroup near their own blueline, the Flyers attempted a very risky line change. As Toronto moved up on the attack from three-quarters ice, the Flyers hustled Frost and then Konecny onto the ice. Eight seconds later, the game was over. Philly never got their man-to-man coverages straightened out with the deadly Mitch Marner and goal-scorer William Nylander (a trailer, just off the bench himself) combined with Timothy Liljegren to end the game.
* In Carolina on March 21, after Konecny, Tippett and Frost had all played very strong games in regulation, none of the three players were able to get on the ice in an OT that lasted 1:28. Poehling and Tyson Foerster started the overtime frame with Poehling losing the draw. Sebastian Aho had a scoring chance in the opening half minute. Two shifts later, Jake Guentzel had a prime chance off a 2-on-1. The Flyers then grabbed possession and had a 2-on-1 of their own with Laughton and Joel Farabee attacking. Farabee missed the net. Seth Jarvis ended the game on yet another 2-on-1 counterattack. At least the Flyers had one prime OT chance before the Hurricanes prevailed, but the game nearly ended on the initial Aho scoring opportunity.
* Last night in New York, Poehling appeared to be hobbling late in the third period and was still struggling to get around in the brief overtime. Once again, the opening faceoff was lost. Yet again, the opponent had three of their most dangerous players on the ice. If "safe is death", as the Flyers preach, I believe you go all out for offense. Maybe you win the first faceoff. If not, well, maybe there's a chance to intercept a puck and counterattack.
Even if the Flyers did want to "go safe" on the opening shift, why start OT with Poehling (a 48.7 percent faceoff guy) rather than Sean Couturier (by far, Philly's best center on draws at 53.6 percent for the season and 57.2 percent in his last 31 games)?
Start OT with Couturier and either Konency or Tippett as the forwards. Win the draw, get Couturier off and Frost on. Lose the draw? Well, you take your chances on a defensive stop.
Nowadays, while some OTs are played at a frenetic and chance-trading pace ala the early years of 3-on-3 overtimes, the majority are more methodical (with lots of retreat-and-regroup tactics). Couturier has been in plenty of OTs in his career. I'd have trusted him more to get through a shift unscathed than a hobbling version of Poehling. Poehling at 100 percent, I can buy the "matter of pacing" explanation. Limping around? No.
When the Flyers beat Toronto, 4-3, on March 19 -- the first of back-to-back games in which team captain Couturier was a healthy scratch -- they only won 38 percent of the faceoffs. With 1:36 left in the third period, this vital situation arose: One-goal lead, defensive zone draw, empty net at the Toronto end, Maple Leafs skating 6-on-5. This is the EPITOME of a situation where Couturier is at his best, even if other parts of his game are struggling.
This time around, Couturier wasn't available by coach's decision. Laughton lost the draw. Thank goodness, the Flyers skaters authored three blocked shots (one by Laughton himself) and Samuel Ersson authored one final save, so Philly nailed down the win.
I said after that game that full credit went to the Flyers' players on the ice for finding a way to protect the one-goal lead. The credit, in that instance, was not shared with the head coach. Credit Tortorella for having his team ready to play in highly competitive fashion against Toronto, Carolina, Boston, Florida and the Rangers in succession. Do NOT, however, say that a lineup decision that was very nearly costly in a game-on-the-line situation somehow vindicated that decision because the Flyers held off Toronto's late push. The Flyers did not have their best player for that situation, and it's not like Couturier is some latter-day Zenon Konopka or end-of-the-line Adam Hall who's primary usefulness is almost exclusively limited to faceoff.
On Tuesday night, Couturier was dressed and available for another situation where instant puck possession is every bit as -- perhaps even more -- as a late-game defensive zone draw. In lieu of aiming for maximized offensive capability, going with Poehling for the center-ice draw instead of Couturier was second-guessable even before the puck was dropped to start OT. At least that's how I see it.
I don't think Ersson can be completely absolved on the winning goal. Yes, he's one of the NHL's elite offensive defensemen. But this was a clear-sighted shot from about 30 feet. Philly really could have used a save.
Lastly, I don't really have much to say about why associate coach Brad Shaw was tabbed by John Tortorella to handle postgame media responsibilities. While I did not like Tortorella's handling of Sunday's postgame, I think he did the right thing by apologizing on Tuesday for his behavior and body language. Jordan Hall had every right -- even the responsibility -- to ask about Felix Sandström's rough outing against Florida, and all that was needed in that moment was a simple, "The effort was there, but it obviously wasn't Sandy's night tonight." Shrugging, tapping the podium and abruptly walking off was clearly not a very professional way to handle it.
Tortorella acknowledged every bit of that truth on Tuesday morning, and that's to his credit. He apologized to Sandström and he apologized to Hall and said it was a "terrible mistake". Enough said in that regard.
As for why Shaw was sent out after the game, I don't know. When Tortorella recently served a two-game suspension, Shaw and Rocky Thompson alternated post-game media duties. Since then, one or the other has been tabbed a couple of times to talk after morning skates. On Tuesday, Tortorella spoke pregame and Shaw did the postgame.
What I will say is that both Shaw and Thompson unfailingly give respectful, well-explained answers to all questions. Tere's never any drama. With Tortorella, well, it's situational, and mood-driven. On practice days, Tortorella himself is usually calm, generous is sharing of his knowledge and the basics of his reasoning. You walk away feeling better informed and, even if you don't 100 percent agree with everything, understand the thought process. At other times, he is non-engaging or combative.
This is nothing new. It's just the reality of John Tortorella as an NHL team's head coach. The media availability part of his job is a guessing game at times as to how he'll act and what he'll say. It's no different in Philly than it was in his previous organizations. He's candidly said that, during schedule breaks and offseasons, he looks forward to the break from dealing with media. But he also confesses that he understands it's a two-way street, too, as he's not always the easiest of coaches to cover.
At the end of the day, what matters most is the players in the room being well-prepared, well-conditioned and playing for one another. Tortorella's teams typically have those traits.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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