Wrap: Flyers Lose to Rangers, 6-3
The Philadelphia Flyers lost to the New York Rangers, 6-3, at the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday evening. The Flyers held an early 1-0 lead, reduced deficits of 3-1 and 4-2 to a single goal but yielded a pair of empty net goals for the final three-goal margin of defeat.
The Flyers didn't play a bad game overall, but they fell victim to the Rangers' transition game and penchant for set plays. New York is simply a deeper team with more potent firepower at the top end of the lineup, too. Effort-wise, the Flyers played hard and made some pushes. They fell short.
The trio of James van Riemsdyk (1g, five shots on net in six attempts, 21:37 TOI, 60.6 percent Corsi), Morgan Frost (1g, three shots on net in six attempts, 7-for-12 on faceoffs, 19:50 TOI, 62.1 percent Corsi) and Owen Tippett (1a, three shots on net in six attempts, 18:48 TOI, 56.4 percent Corsi) accounted for two of Philadelphia's three goals as well as 11 of the team's 32 shots on the New York net.
The line of Joel Farabee (four shots on goal in eight attempts, two takeaways, 20:04 TOI, 55.9 percent Corsi), Noah Cates (three shots on goal in five attempts, six credited hits, 17:07 TOI, 4-for-12 on faceoffs) and Travis Konecny (three shots on goal in six attempts, 26:11 TOI, 51.43 Corsi) also made their share of positive plays.
The bottom half of the Flyers' lineup spent a lot of their shifts in the defensive zone, as would be expected. Scott Laughton scored a gorgeous shorthanded breakaway goal but the 5-on-5 lines had trouble getting out of their own end of the ice on the majority of shifts. The Rangers, strong their top nine, were able to get favorable matchups against the Flyers nominal third line -- Laughton (32.14 percent Corsi), Kieffer Bellows (9:56 TOI, 35.3 percent Corsi) and Olle Lycksell (9:40 TOI, 35 percent Corsi) -- as well as fourth liners Patrick Brown (11:27 TOI, 23.8 percent Corsi) and Nicolas Deslauriers (9:31 TOI, two credited hits, 17.7 percent Corsi).
Regardless of the line combos or defensemen on the ice, the Flyers were vulnerable to the Rangers' ability to turn defense into offense and run set plays off faceoffs. The Flyers D-zone play wasn't bad but the Rangers' speed through the neutral zone presented issues.
JVR (5th goal of the season) opened the scoring for the Flyers at 7:11 of the first period. Artemi Panarin (7th) got it back at 16:58.
In the second period, a K'Andre Miller breakaway goal (2nd) at 9:09 and a Barclay Goodrow (7th) goal at 12:14 built a 3-1 lead. Laughton (6th) narrowed deficit to 3-2 on a shorthanded breakaway marker at 17:56.
The Rangers created a 4-2 edge at 6:22 on a Jimmy Vesey goal (6th). Philly moved back within 4-3 on a Frost tally (5th) at 7:53. Jacob Trouba scored a shorthanded empty-net goal (1st) at 17:52. Ryan Lindgren (1st) added a 5-on-6 ENG with 49.3 seconds left.
Carter Hart stopped 28 of 32 shots in a losing cause. The Vesey goal was one he'd like a second crack on, as Hart was too far back in his net. No one was stopping the other goals. Jaroslav Halak stopped 31 of 34 Flyers shots to earn the win.
The Flyers went 0-for-4 on the power play. The Rangers went 0-for-1. Both teams allowed a shorthanded goal.
Zack MacEwen was a late scratch due to illness. The Flyers dressed seven defensemen and 11 forwards for the game. After the game, the Flyers reassigned Bellows and Lycksell to the AHL's Lehigh Valley Phantoms. They'll join the farm club in Hershey on Sunday.
Tony DeAngelo returned to the Flyers' lineup after a three-game personal leave to mourn the passing of his paternal grandmother. He also missed a game in Vegas as a healthy scratch. DeAngelo had a rough game against the Rangers, apart from being heavily booed every time he touched the puck by a boisterous continent of New York fans that made the trip to Philadelphia.
For a period-by-period synopsis, analysis, stats and highlights from Saturday's game, see the
Postgame 5 on PhiladelphiaFlyers.com
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Phantoms Lose 2-1 to OT in Providence
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms settled for one point on Saturday night as they split a home-and-home set with the Providence Bruins. On Saturday night, the Phantoms dropped a 2-1 overtime decision to the Providence Bruins at the PPL Center. The game was Teddy Bear Toss night at the PPL Center.
At 14:41 of the second period, Cooper Marody (2nd goal of the season) broke a scoreless deadock and sent the cascade of stuffed animals flying from the stands onto the ice. In the third period Joey Abate knotted the score at 1-1 at the 10:06 mark. In 3-on-3 sudden death,
veteran Vinnie Lettieri ended the game at 52 seconds.
Nolan Maier got the start in net for the Phantoms, stopping 17 of 19 shots. Brandon Bussi denied 34 of 35 shots to earn the win for the P-Bruins. There was only one penalty called in the game, and the Phantoms were unable to capitalize on a late third-period power play.
On Sunday, the Phantoms have a 5:05 p.m. road tilt against the Hershey Bears.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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