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Wrap: In Ugly Finale to Homestand, Flyers Trounced by Ducks, 6-2

October 24, 2017, 11:14 PM ET [361 Comments]
Bill Meltzer
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Not much went right for the Philadelphia Flyers as they absorbed an ugly 6-2 whipping from the Anaheim Ducks at the Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday night. A three-goal outburst by the Ducks in the second period broke open what was a 1-1 game at the first intermission.

Ondrej Kase, the older brother of Flyers prospect David Kase, scored even strength and penalty shot goals for the Ducks. Brandon Montour scored a goal off a second period rush. Nick Ritchie potted a second period power play rebound goal. Rickard Rakell and Ryan Getzlaf also scored for the Ducks. John Gibson looked strong in stopping 31 of 33 Flyers shots on a night where Anaheim's defense was hardly airtight in its own right.

Sean Couturier had a pair of goals for the Flyers, while Jakub Voracek had a pair of assists. In a statistical oddity, Couturier's 3rd period goal represented his 200th NHL point, Voracek's 400th and rookie defenseman Travis Sanheim's first NHL point (an assist).

The Flyers had an awful night in a host of different areas. They got clobbered in board battles and got manhandled in close by a bigger Anaheim team. They turned over far too many pucks, whether pressured or not pressured, and struggled with counterattacks, stretch passes and gap control even on rushes that did not initially seem dangerous. They lost their discipline and took frustration penalties.The young defensemen collectively struggled -- including Ivan Provorov -- but so did the veterans.

“You have to take the bad with the good so we will evaluate it all and look at it all and get better from it. It’s a pretty simple night. We didn’t win a lot of the little areas of this hockey game. We gave the puck back too often and too easily. And because of that that led to a lot of opportunities against us," Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol said.

"We weren’t good from our hash marks really to the far hash marks today. They are a heavy team, a hard team down low they are going to get some pucks. They are going to create some opportunities. They are going to create loose pucks and they did that. Once you work to defend that and are able to come up with the puck we didn’t have enough purpose with the puck coming out of the zone from the hash marks on north.

"We were half way in between really all night. There the 30-, 40-, 50-foot flip plays that we gave back to them. We just weren’t sharp. When we are good, we are sharp, close, tight support, making confident plays with the puck in those tight areas. We didn’t tonight. Bottom line. We didn’t.

"Gaps are hard to hold when they come off of quick turnovers. That’s a real general statement [on this game]. On that [Montour] one, we got stretched out, we got spread out and we got beat by a real simple speed play."

Additionally, the goaltending play by Brian Elliott (19 saves on 26 shots) was subpar over the final 40 minutes. He let in one outright soft goal and also was made to look bad on Kase's penalty shot goal. However, the outcome was pretty much a foregone conclusion by that point. Most of the damage was done earlier on goals that were not on Elliott.

"We could have been a lot better," Elliott said. "Starting with me in the net, that’s where it all starts. You make some of your own bounces too. We didn’t get some, but we also didn’t help ourselves too much tonight.”

The return of Ryan Getzlaf and Hampus Lindholm to the Anaheim lineup made an obvious difference from the first meeting of the season between the two teams. However, the Ducks were still missing a lot of key personnel from the lineup: Ryan Kesler, Cam Fowler, Sami Vatanen and the hospitalized Patrick Eaves, among others.

An Anaheim power play that entered the game 1-for-25 on the season went 1-for-3. The Flyers went 0-for-6 on their own power plays including a lengthy 5-on-3.

During the second period, Nolan Patrick put himself in a vulnerable position in the defensive zone corner. On a clean shoulder-to-shoulder body check by Chris Wagner, Patrick's face smacked into the end glass. He was helped off the ice. However, Patrick appeared in street clothes in the press box after the second period. Flyers general manager Ron Hextall said the team would know more tomorrow about his condition.

None of the Flyers' new defense pairs -- Ivan Provorov with Robert Hägg, Shayne Gostisbehere with Radko Gudas and Brandon Manning with Travis Sanheim -- gelled on their first regular season night together. By the third period, the pairing were changed around again with Hägg returning to a pairing with Gostisbehere, Manning with Gudas and Provorov with Sanheim.

"I think we just went back to some comfortability level, I mean I played with Hagger and Man Dog has played with Gudy before, I don’t know about San and Provy, but I think just to get some familiarity together, but for the third, I don’t know what’s going to go on, but I think as a team we could have played a lot better tonight," Gostisbehere said.

On the bright side, the Flyers top line trio of Couturier, Claude Giroux and Voracek generated a lot of pressure off the rush, created and pounced on Anaheim turnovers, and had a lot of time in the offensive zone.

That was about it for the positives on this night.

After the game, several Flyers players -- Couturier, Giroux and Gostisbehere -- griped about the condition of the ice during the game but also added that both teams were in the same boat. Players on both teams fell down several times without being touched and pucks hopped.

What is the key to a quick bounce-back for the Flyers?

"Short memory," Gostisbehere opined. "I mean we got a lot of games left here, obviously this one stings a bit and humbles you a bit, it’s our first bad lost as a team this season so I think it’s going to show a lot about our team, how we respond."

Added Giroux, "I think we've got to do a better job keeping our composure. We weren’t happy with some of their calls. I was probably the first one to lose my composure. We got away from our game plan. ...[Anaheim] played a good game. We know we can play better, especially at home, finishing the homestand. We want to play some good hockey. That wasn’t the case tonight."

The Flyers finished their five-game homestand at 3-2-0. The will practice in Voorhees on Wedensday and then embark on an Ontario road trip that will see them play the Ottawa Senators on Thursday and the high-powered Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.

Patrick generated the game's first shot -- a routine one from outside the dots on the right side -- at the 1:57 mark. On the ensuing faceoff, the Ducks were called for a delay of game penalty for a faceoff violation. Nick Ritchie served the penalty.

The first unit generated good early pressure and a Voracek scoring chance. With 10 seconds remaining, the Ducks were about to get an odd-man rush on a puck that the Flyers could not hold in the attack zone. Ivan Provorov took a tripping penalty on the play.

Early in the Flyers' kill, Michael Raffl came up with a good shot block and an easy clear. Later, the pairing of Travis Sanheim (caught on a bad gamble initially in the neutral zone) and Brandon Manning got in some trouble and the Flyers were also hemmed in longer after a failed clearing opportunity. Elliott had to make a point blank save on Ondrej Kase to keep the game scoreless.

The Ducks turned a puck over at center ice and paid a steep price at 8:51. Voracek stripped the puck away, got it Giroux and the Flyers were off on a counter. Couturier had an open lane to the net, got Gibson to commit early and pulled the puck back to his forehand moving right before tucking the puck home for his 5th goal of the season. Giroux and Voracek got the assists.

“It started with a quick transition and we attacked quick and just went to the net hard. G found me and I tried to freeze the goalie and beat him wide," Couturier said. " I am feeling pretty good about myself. I’m getting a lot of chances. G and Jake are finding me out there pretty well. We just have to keep it up.”

Hägg pushed Chris Wagner into Brian Elliott on a long shift spent in the defensive zone. The fans wanted a goalie interference penalty but there was none forthcoming. The Flyers were then guilty of icing and had to send out tired players but survived it.

At the other end, Voracek had a good chance near the post. At scrum ensued after the whistle. Radko Gudas and Kevin Bieksa dropped the gloves but were immediately separated. Both received unsportsmanlike conduct minors at 14:54. Four-on-four play ensued.

During the 4-on-4, Voracek led a 2-on-1 with Giroux, elected to shoot from the left circle and was denied by Gibson. At the other end, Francois Beauchemin ripped a point shot that deflected off Provorov and hit the crossbar. The Ducks had a late 2-on-1 rush but Jakob Silfverberg missed the net. As Gudas and Bieksa stepped out of the box, they immediately dropped the gloves again and fought. Bieksa landed one quick shot and landed on top. The fighters went to the dressing rooms at 16:58.

A Travis Konecny turnover onto the stick of Derek Grant in the defensive right circle quickly turned into a Kase (2nd tally of the season) deflection goal as Grant put the puck at the net at 18:22.

First period shots were 12-6 in the Flyers' favor. Philadelphia blocked a dozen shot attempts (three by Shayne Gostisbehere, two by Sanheim) while the Ducks blocked a pair. Anaheim also missed the net five times to two by the Flyers. Faceoffs were 9-9.

Hägg landed a crunching hit on a pinching Beauchemin in the defensive right corner in opening 90 seconds of secnd period that began with ragged play. At 2:35, Patrick had to be helped off the ice after going face first into the glass atop the defensive corner boards.

Voracek and Giroux missed connections on what started out as a promising rush, and Anaheim had a counter chance the other way fizzle out. Gudas then overskated but regained the puck.

Montour joined the rush to blow by Konecny with Manning over the middle and rifled a shot over Elliott's shoulder for a 2-1 lead. Kalle Kossila drew the lone assist

Held, dragged down and interfered with by Ryan Getzlaf in the defensive zone, Simmonds grabbed on with his arm to the Anaheim captain's stick and then retaliated with a cross-check. Simmonds got an extra minor (holding the stick, cross-checking) to a holding penalty on Getzlaf and Anaheim went to the power play at 6:40 of the second period.

Giroux had a great shorthanded chance off the rush denied by Gibson in the final 30 seconds of a strong overall penalty kill. Anaheim's struggling power play generated nothing dangerous.

The Ducks went right back to the box as Giroux was called for a skate trip at the offensive blueline at 9:06. Elliott squeezed the pads just in time to prevent a right point shot from trickling through with 1:14 left on the kill. There was no such luck at 10:03 as Ritchie (first goal of the season) potted the rebound of a Hampus Lindholm center point shot for a 3-1 lead and just the Ducks' second power play goal of the season. Bieksa got the secondary assist.

Gostisbehere got in trouble out near the offensive point and Anaheim took the puck away and countered. Voracek got back and blocked a shot out of play. A TV timeout ensued at 11:40.

Sanheim started a rush with a good lead pass after a line change and Simmonds was stopped in close. At 13:12, Voracek button-hooked in the right circle and snapped a shot on net. Gibson covered before Couturier, jostling with a defenseman, could try to jam it home.

Voracek forced a Ducks turnover and got the puck to Giroux. As the Flyers captain fed cross-ice to Couturier for a one-timer attempt, Couturier was tripped up by Ritchie at 14:30. The Flyers went to their second power play. The first unit had good pressure. The second unit short-circuited, with Sanheim twice falling down.

Anaheim had all too easy of a time making it 4-1 at 18:17. Getzlaf manhandled the much smaller Weal and then fed Rakell (3rd goal of the season) near the right post. Corey Perry drew the secondary assist.

Cogliano was called for a neutral zone trip at 18:23. Philly got a 5-on-3 for 1:09 on Bieksa slash on Voracek at 19:51. A would-be slam-dunk for Weal off a cross-ice feed from Giroux instead rolled harmlessly off the stick blade. A scramble off a Voracek right side shot was not potted. Giroux fell down on a one-timer chance at the right point. Philadelphia took 19 seconds of carryover 5-on-3 into the third period.

First period shots were 13-12 in the Flyers favor (but the cash register was 3-0 Anaheim in the period (25-18 overall shots on goal edge for Philadelphia). Philadelphia blocked five shot attempts (17 overall) while the Ducks blocked four (six overall). Anaheim also missed the net twice (seven times overall) to three (five overall) by the Flyers. Faceoffs were 17-9 in the Flyers' favor (26-18 Flyers overall).

The remaining 5-on-3 and 5-on-4 power play time for the Flyers passed by very quietly. On the next shift, Sanheim was tripped behind the defensive net. There was no call.

Provorov turned a puck over on a bank pass into the neutral zone to Perry. On the counter, Getzlaf (1st goal of the season_ scored through the five-hole from the right circle to make it 5-1 at 3:59; a soft goal on an already ugly night.

After an Anaheim turnover, a wide open Filppula missed the net from point blank range. Moments later, Weal flubbed an open shot. The Flyers went to a power play at 6:55 on a Rakell slash in the defensive zone. Weal hit the post on a late chance.

Couturier had a tap-in at the right post (sixth goal of the season) for his second tally of the gam. Sanheim, pinching up the left circle, made a perfect set-up pass for the primary assist. Voracek got the secondary helper (12th assist of the season) at 11:54 as the Flyers reduced the deficit to 5-2.

Gostisbehere freewheeled in the offensive zone and was taken down at 13:32 by Kase. The power play that ensued went nowhere in a hurry. As it ended, Provorov was stripped of the puck and fouled Kase from behind for a penalty shot.

Kase made it look all too easy, getting Elliott to commit very early, shifting to the back hand and scoring his second goal of the game (3rd of the season) at 15:49 to make it a 6-2 game.

Anaheim took exception to a Konecny hit on Silfverberg in the Flyers zone and went after him following a Flyers icing. No penalties were called.

Third period shots were 8-7 in the Flyers favor (33-25 overall shots on goal edge for Philadelphia). Philadelphia blocked two shot attempts (19 overall, six by Gostisbehere) while the Ducks blocked five (11 overall). Anaheim did not miss the net on any third-period shot attempts (seven times overall) to eight (13 overall) by the Flyers. Faceoffs were 9-8 in the Ducks' favor (34-27 in the Flyers' favor overall).
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