The cliche "work smarter, not harder" has been applicable to many Philadelphia Flyers losses this season, and the source of much frustration for the team. That
was the case again on Saturday afternoon at the Prudential Center as the Flyers fell, 3-2, to the New Jersey Devils.
The issues that arise on Saturday:
1) Poor starts to periods, including two goals yielded within the first 5:08 of periods two and three (1:18). The opening 10 minutes of the game were sloppy on both sides.
2) Unforced errors in puck management, especially early. The second and third Devils goals were especially aggravating: a neutral zone giveaway (Travis Sanheim) and poor D-to-D passing (Christian Folin and Robert Hägg) and scrambled coverage. The first was scored off the Devils making a nice play but started with multiple failed clearing opportunities for Philly.
3) Open looks in the offensive zone that resulted only in missed shots (20 in all for Philly). Most notably, the Flyers had a very extensive third period shift in which the Devils defenders were hemmed in -- one with a discarded broken stick and another who dropped his stick and had to retrieve a new one from the bench while on the wrong side of the puck -- but numerous shot attempts were fired high and/or wide.
4) Too many times when stick/body position was lost on Devils players and which resulted in hooking or tripping penalties. Philly also committed an unforced delay of game penalty among New Jersey's five power plays. The Flyers were very good on the PK -- as they have generally been since late November -- but it also meant spending too much time killing penalties.
5) Power play failure. There were looks and puck movement but the shooting was repeatedly errant.
6) Losing too many 50-50 puck battles in the "hard" areas of the ice and along the walls.
Defensively, the Flyers didn't really give up a lot of chances but the breakdowns that did happen were backbreakers. Carter Hart was not the problem. He stopped 23 of 26 shots. On the third goal, he wasn't able to find a loose puck in the crease but really wasn't to blame on any of the goals. However, his New Jersey counterpart, fellow rookie goalie Mackenzie Blackwood was a little better as he stopped 32 of 34 shots, including a couple of key stops in scrambles around the net. Philly hit the post twice, New Jersey once.
Saturday's game marked the 21st time this season that the Flyers have scored two of fewer goals in a game. The team has only won twice when doing so.
Damon Severson (6th), Nico Hischier (13th) and Miles Wood (5th) scored for the Devils. Hischier, Drew Stafford, Pavel Zacha and Blake Coleman earned one assist apiece. For Philly, James van Riemsdyk (8th) scored for the second straight game. Sean Couturier (16th) scored just before the end of the game. Couturier, Ivan Provorov, Voracek and and van Riemsdyk had one assist each.
1-0 Devils (6:32, 1st period): After the Flyers repeatedly failed to clear the defensive zone, Severson pinched down to the below the left circle. Taking a perfect cross-ice feed from Staford, Severson fired a great shot from a sharp angle that went under the near-side crossbar as Hart slid across.
2-0 Devils (5:08, 2nd period): Sanheim was too casual with the puck in the neutral zone and Hischier exiting the penalty box. Hischier collected the giveaway, soloed and scored on the backhand as he pulled the puck across slid the puck through the five hole as Hart opened up to move across.
1-2 Flyers (15:51, 2nd period): A great effort by JVR, carrying the mail up the left wing, making a beeline to the scoring area below the hashmarks, pulling the puck quickly from backhand to forehand and beating Blackwood.
3-1 Devils (1:18, 3rd period): Poor passing by Folin and Hägg and a general confusion in the D zone resulted in a way-too-easy goal for New Jersey. Hart made an initial save but was unable to find the rebound. An untouched Wood arrived to tap the puck home from the blue paint.
2-3 Flyers (19:58. 3rd period): The outcome was already decided as the Devils got caught in a bad line change. Couturier took a long pass from Voracek and scored on a breakaway wrister from the slot.
The Flyers (16-23-6) will practice in Voorhees on Sunday at 11 AM ET. On Monday night, they will host general manager Chuck Fletcher and assistant general manager Brent Flahr's former club, the Minnesota Wild (22-18-3), at the Wells Fargo Center.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
Join the Discussion:
»