The Philadelphia Flyers had their five-game winning streak ended by the New York Islanders, falling on the road in a hard-fought 3-2 loss. What were some takeaways from the Flyers’ first defeat since Nov. 7?
Louie Belpedio Needs to Be a Staple
Louie Belpedio, a 27-year-old defenseman who only had four NHL games under his belt prior to this season, has been one of the Flyers’ best surprises so far this season. He has provided a spark for the Flyers in all areas of the ice, being a solid defensive, transitional, and even offensive piece for the Flyers. Playing himself into a solidified role with the team, he was scratched for this contest in exchange for other depth defenders. It proved to be a costly gamble for Flyers’ head coach John Tortorella, and it might be a choice that he would like to revisit if he wants to get his team back in the win column.
Entering this game, defenseman Marc Staal was activated off of injured reserve and put in the lineup right away. He had only played three matches prior to this one, and he has been up and down during his time with the Flyers. With a chance for redemption, he arguably had his worst performance of the season. Not contributing offensively and holding an expected goals percentage of just 11.7, the Islanders were at their best when he was on the ice.
Tortorella said about Staal before the game, “Sometimes I look at him and say, ‘Oh my God, he just looks so ugly.’ His skating… he’s sideways half the time, his stick’s up in the air, but he gets in the way. He finds a way to defend the proper way.” This isn’t exactly a huge compliment on his play, but his coach was honest about the veteran. The 36-year-old shouldn’t be expected to move the needle too much, but should be expected to be a viable option in the depth department on the back end. Someone like Belpedio might have been the better option for this match.
Tortorella later stated that he does not plan to let Staal get in the way of his young players from slotting in the lineup. That he did not, as 23-year-old defender Egor Zamula was placed alongside the veteran. The youngster also struggled, and had arguably his worst game of the season, as well.
To be fair to Tortorella, Staal had earned a chance to slot back into the lineup after missing so much time. However, his chance for redemption did not go according to plan. It wasn’t great foresight from the Flyers’ coach to leave Belpedio out of the lineup. With this failed experiment, it might be time to place him back in.
Flyers Responding to Adversity
Something that the Flyers have done well this season has been their response to adversity. Trailing by two goals with just over four minutes remaining in the contest, Joel Farabee got his team back in it with a late goal. Islanders’ goaltender Ilya Sorokin had been robbing them all night, but the Flyers did not let that deter them. Even though they did not end up evening the score, their response to adversity was admirable.
Related: Flyers’ Joel Farabee in the Midst of Resurgence
As a whole, the Flyers have not typically let up when facing a deficit late in games. Their fate was essentially sealed by the time they went down by two goals against an elite Islanders defense, but they still made the Islanders sweat out the rest of the game. That is a key characteristic of a competitive hockey team. Never losing faith, the Flyers gave themselves a chance until the final horn. Even though they lost, their effort as a whole was good enough to win.
First Goal Continues to Determine Outcome of Games
Going into this match, the Flyers held a 10-1-0 record when scoring first and a 0-6-1 record when they did not. Unsurprisingly, they gave up the first goal in this game, adding to their lopsided record depending on which team scores first. At some point or another, the Flyers will certainly win one of their contests when giving up the first goal. With that being said, mounting comebacks in the NHL is a challenge for every team. Starting off as best as possible has been vital for the Orange and Black in their 2023-24 season, and it will continue to be so down the line.
The Flyers haven’t always been the better team to start out, but that is something they did well during their winning streak. In games where the Flyers give up the first goal, they have typically been outplayed throughout; not just limited to the first period. When a rebuilding team is not the better one during the opening frame, it will always be difficult to bounce back. Instead of focusing on scoring first, the Flyers have to outplay their opponents early. Goals come naturally that way, and that was the case for an Islanders team that outplayed Philadelphia early on.
York Has Been Quietly Solid
Deservedly so, all the hype for the Flyers’ defense has gone towards Travis Sanheim and Sean Walker. They have been fantastic and have sparked a surprisingly good start to the season for Philadelphia, but Cam York also deserves his flowers. Scoring a goal and being a net positive with an expected goals percentage of 67.4, he was one of the players who kept the Flyers in the game.
York’s offensive game is what he was mainly drafted for, but it has been his defensive game that has made him one of the best the Flyers have to offer on the back end. Making the right plays with his body and stick consistently, he has made for an excellent defensive partner for Sanheim. He might not always get credit for it, but he has been one of the Flyers’ best performers this season.
The Flyers will be looking to bounce back on Black Friday, but they have one of the NHL’s hottest teams in the New York Rangers up next. With a 13-3-1 record thus far, the Flyers will be looking to get a big upset victory at Wells Fargo Center.
