The Philadelphia Flyers fought right until the end with the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights, but a goal with just over 30 seconds left in the third period was the dagger for the Flyers, as they fell 3-2. It was a heartbreaker, but what were some key takeaways?
Flyers’ Defense Might Be Genuine Strength in 2023-24
A developing story over this season for the Flyers has been the strength of their defense. Before the season started, it seemed as though they would struggle defensively, given they were a poor defensive team in 2022-23 and lost more pieces than they added in the offseason. Perhaps those losses were addition by subtraction, as the defense has been one of the reasons why the Flyers have been competitive this season so far.
As a collective, the Flyers’ defense has been nothing short of fantastic. With individual standouts including Travis Sanheim, Cam York, and Sean Walker, Philadelphia’s play on defense might stick as the season goes on. It could regress, but falling to one of the worst units in hockey seems unlikely at this point.
While individual actions such as a goal resulting due to Egor Zamula getting undressed on a great move by Vegas’ Paul Cotter, or York turning the puck over in the dying seconds of the game to seal the deal for the Flyers might not bode well, the players and team as a whole are learning. A couple blemishes should not take away from the overall product, which has been overwhelmingly positive.
Flyers Need to Learn to Close Out Games
It might seem like the Flyers’ own mistakes cost them in this game, and that is partially the case. However, their play in the third period as a whole was not acceptable. They did not generate nearly enough offense, and it felt as though they were desperately holding on to their one-goal lead for the last 20 minutes of the game. Against the now 7-0-0 Golden Knights, that was never going to fly.
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There are no scapegoats for a loss like the one the Flyers suffered, despite being so close to overtime. Head coach John Tortorella and his team were essentially playing for the point earned for a loss in overtime or a shootout. The momentum was clearly in Vegas’ favor in the third, with them heavily outshooting the Flyers and maintaining a large majority of the puck possession. With that being said, the Flyers’ chances of winning in an extra period were slim to none. If the Orange and Black want to be competitive, this cannot be the standard when closing out games.
For everyone involved, losing out on a point by just over 30 seconds should drive home a point that otherwise would not have been made if they were to survive. The key to the third is that the Flyers were simply delaying an inevitable collapse, and that will not be a viable strategy against any team, let alone a contender. They can learn from this.
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With the loss the Flyers suffered, they should be much better in terms of their approach to late leads. It was a tough way to handle it, but the most devastating losses preach accountability. Tortorella and his club should be much more aggressive in the third period offensively in the future, as that is what typically puts his team out in front prior to the final frame in the first place. Teaching moments are important, and mean much more than a loss in extra time. Hopefully, all parties learn from their errors.
Farabee, Cates, Brink Line Strikes Again
The Flyers’ third line of wingers Joel Farabee and Bobby Brink and center Noah Cates has easily been their best so far this season. The center found the back of the net in this one, and the line has continued to dominate despite 5-on-5 ineffectiveness from the rest of the team.
The offense at even strength definitely hasn’t been a strength this season, with the Flyers ranking at around the middle of the pack in this category despite holding a winning record. The young third line has continued to produce, and has been the Flyers’ only real spark when they are at 5-on-5. With the oldest member on the line being a 24-year-old Cates, the youth is leading the way for Philadelphia even though there are still plenty of veterans in the lineup. The youngsters aren’t on the team because there are no other options, but rather, they are arguably playing the best hockey out of anyone on the offense.
Flyers Vying for Offense From Top Players
Other than a fluky Cam Atkinson goal in the first period, the Farabee, Cates, and Brink line was the only one to score at even strength for the second-straight game. The Flyers will simply not win hockey games if that continues to be the case. They are not getting offense from their top players, and it is starting to become an issue.
The Flyers have a lineup where their top talent is a bit spread out. They don’t have one player on the team that is far above the rest. Right now, they need the offense from essentially everyone but the third line that has been consistently producing. Players like Travis Konecny, Sean Couturier, and Owen Tippett will need to find ways to score without Morgan Frost being in the lineup, as he has been a healthy scratch spanning all the way back to Philadelphia’s game against the Vancouver Canucks on Oct. 17.
Something has to change if the Flyers want to win hockey games consistently. The lineup as a whole hasn’t been scoring, but the top offensive players will have to lead the way. They will get out of their slump eventually, but the Flyers won’t win hockey games if it isn’t soon.
After a gut-wrenching loss, the Flyers will return to their home ice on Oct. 26 to take on the Minnesota Wild. With a 2-0-0 record at home, Philadelphia will have to take care of another top-end Western Conference foe to stay above .500, now sitting at 3-2-1 on the season.