Flyers @ Rangers: The Good, the bad, and the Ugly

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Rick Tocchet’s Philadelphia Flyers (17-10-7) finished their four-game road trip with a 1-1-2 record. The has won just two its last eight games (2-2-4) and three of the last 10 (3-3-4). On Saturday afternoon, the Flyers were unable to protect a 4-2 lead and ultimately lost via shootout, 5-4 (2-0).

Travis Sanheim (PPG, 3rd), Owen TIppett (10th), Trevor Zegras (PPG, 15th) and Rodrigo Abols (SHG, 2nd) scored in regulation for the Flyers. Making his NHL debut, Denver Barkey recorded a pair of primary assists. Samuel Ersson stopped 23 of 27 shots before going 0-for-2 in the shootout.

Artemi Panarin (12th and 13th) scored two goals and the shootout winner for the Rangers. New York also received tallies from Vincent Trocheck (6th) and Mika Zibanejad (12th). Igor Sheshterkin stopped 28 of 32 shots before he went 2-for-2 in the shootout.

The Flyers went 2-for-5 on the power play.They were 3-for-4 on the penalty kill with a shorthanded a goal by Abols. It was the Flyers’ first shorthander of the season.

Game Highlights and Stat Card

The good

• The Flyers played a very strong second period. They should have been in the driver’s seat to win the game.
• Denver Barkey impressed in his NHL debut. Even apart from his two assists, he won the majority of his puck battles, and showed his speed.
• Trevor Zegras extended his point streak to a career-best seven straight games.
• Back-to-back power play goals plus a shorthanded goal: The Flyers won the special teams battle overall.

The bad

• Not just one failed overtime power play; the Flyers had two.
• Rasmus Ristolainen’s careless delay of game penalty with 3:00 left in the third period led directly to Zibanejad’s tying goal on the power play
• Samuel Ersson wasn’t terrible but he also didn’t make clutch saves when they were most needed.

The ugly

• The entire third period (minus Konecny’s goal) was most certainly ugly.
• The Flyers were well set up to win in regulation. They failed. They were set up to rescue a win in OT. They didn’t take advantage. Ersson was beaten twice in the shootout. Zegras, for the third straight shootout, didn’t convert his chance.Another winnable December point slipped away.

Postgame reaction: Tocchet’s Take