On March 4, the Philadelphia Flyers fell to the St. Louis Blues in the shootout at Wells Fargo Center 2-1. The Flyers were probably the better team and even scored the first goal, but they couldn’t get any more than that. Getting a point in the loss, they are now six points ahead of the New York Islanders for the third-place spot in the Metropolitan Division, sitting at a 32-23-8 record. What were some takeaways from this defeat?
Flyers Generated But Had No Finish
In this one, the Flyers were heavily favored in both normal shots and high-danger chances. Winning the shots on goal battle 41-25 and the high-danger scoring chances battle 14-7, their effort was worth more than the single goal they scored. They just couldn’t finish on their chances.
It’s a promising sign that the Flyers are playing well even without forward Travis Konecny. While his finishing touch might have given them a better chance to win in this one, they did well with what they had. They haven’t had him for their last six games, so the original day-to-day timeline for his return was very much inaccurate. 2-3-1 in those six games, things could be much worse. They have 20 goals in those six contests for an average of just over three goals a game — this was just an off night.
Once the Flyers get Konecny back, some of their finishing inconsistencies might be fixed. There’s always credit to give to the opposing netminder, as Jordan Binnington was fantastic for the Blues, but it was more about what the Flyers did wrong than what he did right. Scoring just one goal, they were lucky to get a point at all.
Ersson Stole the Flyers a Point
Despite the praises of the Flyers’ offense and their ability to out-generate the Blues, Sam Ersson had to be sensational in goal. Considering the Flyers’ inability to score, he was the only reason they had a chance in the shootout. He could not have been any better for them, stopping 24 of 25 shots and two of the opening three shooters in the shootout to force an extra round.
Ersson had to make some of his best saves all season long in this game. He was truly remarkable. The only goal that got past him was a fluky Kevin Hayes breakaway where the puck got off his stick but went in the net anyway. Other than that curveball, Ersson was perfect. Coming off of a .762 save percentage (SV%) outing against the Washington Capitals on March 1, he apparently has a short memory.
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As if there was any doubt at this point, Ersson is not just a starting goaltender in the NHL, but a good one at that. He never has it very easy. 2-on-1 chances, breakaways, or anything else that came his way was no problem for him. Despite what the Flyers’ elite expected goals against numbers might say, he does not have an easy job. Not anyone could just sub in for him and be what he is. Just 24 years of age, he has arguably been the Flyers’ most pleasant surprise this season. His team just couldn’t get him the win as the cherry on top.
Something Has to Change for Couturier
Early in the season, Sean Couturier was one of the Flyers’ best players. He has been for essentially his entire career. Ever since he was made the captain just a short while ago, though, it’s been all downhill. He was on a downward trajectory before then, but it has really started to kick in. He’s gotten fourth-line minutes a lot recently, and this was another underwhelming showing overall.
Couturier, now 31, is in just the second season of his eight-year deal worth $7.75 million each season. He will have to figure it out at some point. Perhaps he is just in a rut, but not playing a single second in the overtime period suggests head coach John Tortorella has no confidence in him. Not even getting a shot off in the shootout when he was put out there didn’t help his case, either. He could have put to rest some of the concerns about him. Instead, they were magnified a bit.
Couturier was a first-line staple for the Flyers earlier this season, but now they’ve lost that. Essentially, it’s like he got injured all over again. The Flyers have gotten by without him being the great player he was early on, but that’s not going to last for long. If he doesn’t turn it around, they might fall out of the playoff race.
With a little more time to figure things out, Couturier might return to what he was in October. If he can, that would be a huge boost to the Flyers’ roster. They are a better team when he is playing well.
Next up, the Flyers will take on the soaring Florida Panthers on the road on March 7. Florida has the best record in the entire NHL at 42-16-4, coming off a 4-2 win versus the New York Rangers. The Panthers are red hot, so it will be a huge test for the Orange and Black. It will be the Flyers’ last game before the trade deadline on March 8.