The Philadelphia Flyers came back from a 4-2 deficit in the third period against the Dallas Stars, but that was only enough to force overtime, as they lost 5-4 after an electrifying final frame in regulation. What were some takeaways from the hard-fought loss for Philadelphia?
Flyers’ Penalty Kill Had a Historic Effort
Scoring a shorthanded goal in itself is a relatively rare occurrence in the NHL. To do so three times in one game is nothing short of miraculous. The Flyers’ penalty kill has been on a tear over the last three games, outscoring opposing power plays 4-0.
It’s pretty crazy to think that this game could have been a blowout in Dallas’ favor if the Flyers didn’t take a single penalty in the game. When I stated that one of the Flyers’ biggest keys in a win against the Stars would be their penalty kill, I wasn’t really expecting this out of them. To start the onslaught, Travis Konecny scored on a breakaway to tie the game at two, and scored again on a nifty play to get himself open off a feed from Travis Sanheim and get the Flyers back to within one after trailing the game 4-2.
Just a little while later, Sean Walker entered the Dallas zone on a 2-on-1 that developed due to a broken stick for Dallas, and he scored his second shorthanded goal on the season, doing so in back-to-back games. This tied the match at four, and the goal was on the same exact penalty that Konecny scored his on. It might be a bit silly to actively start rooting for the Flyers to take penalties, but with four shorthanded goals in their last two games to their four goals in any other situation, it’s hard not to.
Last season under head coach John Tortorella, the Flyers’ penalty kill was the seventh worst in the NHL. Right now, it is playing like one of the best in hockey. They will probably cool down a bit in the near future, but the penalty kill is on a roll. In fact, it is actively giving the Flyers chances to win hockey games.
Farabee, Cates, Brink Line Clicking
Even with the shorthanded feast the Flyers had at the Stars’ expense, they were still able to score at 5-on-5, albeit just once. That goal was brought on by a line full of youngsters in Joel Farabee, Noah Cates, and Bobby Brink. The line has been clicking since it was formed against the Vancouver Canucks earlier this season, and has shown no signs of slowing down. It may be the Flyers’ best trio as of now.
The Flyers’ first goal of the game, and only at 5-on-5, was scored off of the efforts of every single forward on this line. Cates shot the puck high, a rebound came to Brink, and he slid the puck over to Farabee, who had an easy goal with a yawning cage. Not only has this line been generating offense, but they have been finishing as well. For a line that’s oldest player is just 24, there is some potential to be had.
Carter Hart Could Be Due for High Workload
After starting the first four games of the season, Carter Hart was given some rest after not even being on the bench as the backup for this game. He deserves every bit of rest that he can get, as he has put up a .929 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.01 goals-against average (GAA) to go along with his 3-1-0 record so far this season.
While the Flyers’ starter for this game Sam Ersson was not the reason why the team lost, a .800 SV% with a 4.82 GAA ultimately does not look too good on him. The defense in front of him certainly did not do him any favors, but the Flyers have played much better when Hart is in goal. With how he has performed thus far, he might be due for the highest workload he has seen in his NHL career.
Again, Ersson was not to blame for the Flyers’ loss. Essentially all of Dallas’ goals in the game were scored with a player having too much room to operate, and burning the Flyers for the mistake. With an elite goaltender like Hart, they can get away with this a bit more often.
Related: Flyers’ 2024 Restricted Free Agents Contract Projections
Hart is a restricted free agent (RFA) after this season, meaning the Flyers have a good amount of time to do essentially whatever they want with him. With this season being vital in determining what happens to him, he could be slated to play in more games this season than he is used to, especially with how he has played to this point. The Flyers have what it takes to get some good play out of their backups considering the depth they have at the position, but perhaps it is their starter’s time to take over.
Flyers Should Compete in 2023-24
It could be argued that the Flyers got pretty lucky to get this game to overtime in the first place, but the most important takeaway with the club as a whole should be that they competed with an incredible team in the Stars. It took the defending Stanley Cup Champion Vegas Golden Knights to beat them in the Western Conference Final last season, and the Stars’ only loss so far this season came in a shootout to the same foe.
The fact that the Flyers gave a scare to such a good team could be a sign that they might be competitive this season. Their schedule so far hasn’t been a walk in the park, so a 3-1-1 record was not handed to them by any means. The Flyers might not be in a playoff spot anymore by the time the season is over, but the hope should be that they continue to play hard. So far, the Orange and Black have given everything they have in them.
Speaking of the Golden Knights, that’s who the Flyers have the honor of taking on in their next game, which is on Oct. 24. They still haven’t lost a game yet, sitting at 6-0-0. On the road, if this game wasn’t enough of a test, their next one surely will be.