The Philadelphia Flyers dropped their fifth game in their last six, this time to the Buffalo Sabres by a score of 5-2. What were some takeaways from the game?
Hart’s Injury Could Give Backups a Real Chance
In the first period, goaltender Carter Hart exited the game after an awkward collision with Sabres forward Kyle Okposo. He would never return, and his status is still up in the air. It is likely nothing that will last for a while, as he was able to play following the injury, but ultimately left after allowing a goal. That being said, his potential absence will give the Flyers’ backups a chance to play. They haven’t really had one, so now is their opportunity.
Sam Ersson was the backup entering this game and came in relief for Hart, so he’s more than likely the number one goaltender moving forward if the injury lingers. The next goaltender would be between either Felix Sandstrom, who was sent down to the American Hockey League (AHL) on a conditioning stint, and Cal Petersen, who was acquired in a trade from the Los Angeles Kings. Neither has seen any action this season, and the latter hasn’t seen any time as a Flyer, period.
Related: Flyers’ Cal Petersen Needs to Be Given an Opportunity
The hope is that Hart’s issues won’t last long enough where there will be a need to start multiple goaltenders, given they have an upcoming back-to-back on their schedule, but it is plausible that he is out for a few days. It is doubtful that either Sandstrom or Petersen could make a worthwhile impression to earn the official backup role, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be monitored. It is a chance for the team to really understand what they have in net, especially in terms of their depth at the position.
First Line Gives Flyers Life
The Flyers’ first line, consisting of Owen Tippett, Sean Couturier, and Cam Atkinson, has given the team life this season. Performing as one of the best offensive lines in the entire league, it has been an energy-booster and one that teams have not been able to take lightly. They can strike quickly, and teams haven’t really adjusted. The trio has definitely caught some teams by surprise, including the Sabres in this one.
What makes the Flyers’ first line so deadly is their uncanny ability to create turnovers and their ability to start and finish on rushes. Tippett struck in the team’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes off a turnover, but it was Atkinson who started and finished a rush chance that gave him his sixth goal of the season in this one.
Couturier has been a puck battle machine, and has been a big reason for his line’s success on the forecheck. Having him back to center this line is crucial, and both his wingers have benefitted. Tippett has had a nice start to the season but was admittedly not at his best against Buffalo, while Atkinson has been hot in the early going. Their line has been one of the best in hockey so far and should continue to be so. Head coach John Tortorella was pretty smart in assembling it to begin with.
Odd Man Rushes Prove Costly
The Flyers were killed in this game due to the quantity of odd-man rush chances they gave up. Nearly every time the Sabres would outnumber the Flyers on a rush, they would score. In essentially every other situation, the Flyers were fine. It was the main thing that cost them this game, even though they did play well enough to win.
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The Flyers’ offense lives and dies on aggressiveness. That’s how they have created so many chances, and that’s why they have been so impressive. The obvious downside with this is that there will be plenty of times where the forwards are caught, and the team is outnumbered going the other way. The Flyers have to learn how to not make it so a goal results nearly every time this happens by defending it better.
Being the Better Team Yet Losing Could Be a Theme
A few times this season, the Flyers have outplayed their opponent for large stretches of the game yet lost regardless. There is really no debate as to who the better team in this game was, with the Flyers dominating pressure, puck possession, and even the shot department with them outshooting the Sabres 40-15 in the game. Now 10 games into the season, games like this will likely keep happening.
Tortorella has done a great job in getting effort out of his players, but the wins haven’t always been there. Analytical models would tell you that the Flyers should be a better hockey team than their record says, and that’s okay. The fact that they are outplaying anyone is a sign that their rebuild is heading in the right direction, and some more wins will come at some point in the future if they keep playing how they are with some slight modifications. Games like the one against Buffalo will still happen, but perhaps just a bit less frequently.
Looking good and still losing in regulation seems like a dream scenario to try and maximize trade potential and get a top draft pick, and really, it is. However, the players need the games to be meaningful. They have given effort, and they deserve to be rewarded for it by winning hockey games. The wins haven’t always come, but the little things that the Flyers are doing wrong will soon be corrected.
The Flyers will still lose games where they arguably outplay their opponent even when they start to round their game out. It’s the nature of the game, especially for a rebuilding team like the Flyers. They are in a good position, and the result on the scoreboard isn’t always the biggest takeaway. For a team that was projected to finish low in the standings, how they play is more important than the result. The Flyers looked good, and that is all that really matters at this point.
In their next match, the Flyers will once again take on the Sabres, but this time on the road. On a three-game losing streak, the Orange and Black are now in desperate need of a victory before things start to get out of hand.
