The Philadelphia Flyers fell to the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 after allowing a crushing goal with under four minutes left to play in the third period. What were some key takeaways from the loss?
Special Teams Could Prevent Flyers From Winning Games
The Flyers’ penalty kill had a great start to the season, but they have now allowed goals against in two straight games. The power play was especially weak against Carolina, and it brings up the question of whether their special teams are good enough to win games against contenders. Not scoring on a single one of their five chances on the power play coupled with allowing a goal on their only time being shorthanded is an issue. It may be a recurring issue that prevents the Flyers from winning hockey games.
The Flyers were winning games in spite of their poor power play prior to this game, but they got thoroughly outplayed beyond 5-on-5 in this one against a contender, making it difficult to recover. That is something that they might not be able to mask for much longer. In order to beat top contenders like the Hurricanes, they will have to start improving on special teams. With the team being nine games in and finding almost no success on the power play consistently, their struggles may very well continue.
Obviously, not all is doom and gloom. The Flyers have been fantastic aside from the power play, specifically on the penalty kill over their last couple of games. Their play at even strength alone will have them competitive, but poor special teams could have them losing more games than they should. For a rebuilding club, losing out on a few points at the start of the season isn’t necessarily the end of the world.
Flyers Much Better as Game Went Along
The Flyers had a rough start against Carolina, and it led to them sacrificing the first goal of the game before a quarter of the first period had even transpired. By the midpoint of the first, the Hurricanes were looking like they might run away with the game, having all of the pressure and not letting up. From that point forward, the Flyers looked to be holding their own. By the third, they were arguably the better team, but were rewarded with a dagger against them late in the game.
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To his credit, head coach John Tortorella deserves kudos for how his team performed. They were clearly not prepared for Carolina’s speedy style of play, but his players adjusted when they had time to discuss how to attack the Hurricanes during intermission.
The result of the game really doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. The fact that the Flyers were able to go from being vastly outplayed to almost flipping it on Carolina in the third was a great sign. Consistent improvement creates good habits, and it will prepare the Flyers for the long-term.
It would have been nice to see them come away with at least a point, but the Flyers are not in a position where they have jobs on the line if they don’t come. They have played some tough opponents so far in the early stages of the season. Being where they are at is a positive at the end of the day.
Frost, Foerster Made Each Other Better
After six games of sitting out as a healthy scratch, Morgan Frost finally got a chance to shine against the Hurricanes, even slotting on the second line between Travis Konecny and Tyson Foerster. The youngest of the two looked the most promising, both having arguably their best games of the season. Playing together might be the key to maximizing their potential.
Neither Foerster nor Frost registered a point on the night, but both looked fantastic on the forecheck and were doing well to generate opportunities. Playing together might be the best for both of them and their future. They could be a long-term couple if Tortorella wants to explore something of that nature. Their first game together was a success, though the stat sheet might not exactly confirm that.
Defense Can Rely on Hart
At times, the Flyers’ defense was not at their best during this game. Goaltender Carter Hart was, which made the game more competitive than it otherwise would have been with someone else in goal. Saving the Flyers from certain doom is something he can do consistently, and has shown and proved it throughout his 2023-24 campaign. If this continues, the defense has a much better outlook.
Hart is one of the few goaltenders in the NHL that truly makes an impact on the game, regardless of how his defense performs. He doesn’t need a top-end defense to be a great goaltender, which makes him the perfect netminder for the Flyers this season. Since they are rebuilding, they will be open to experimenting. Some hiccups will occur along the way, but their netminder will be there to save them in their time of need. Having a security blanket helps the learning process, and it will be vital for the early stages of the rebuild.
The Flyers will return to Wells Fargo Center to face the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 1 to open a new month. Following their two-straight losses, the Orange and Black will look to settle things down.