Coming off the emotional excessive of beating Boston, the Flyers had a letdown Sunday night time with a 4-1 loss to the Panthers on the Wells Fargo Middle.
Anthony Stolarz, a 2012 second-round draft choose of the Flyers, was wonderful in internet for Florida.
“I believed we performed very well,” head coach John Tortorella stated. “Could not rating. Goalie performed very well.”
Bobby Brink had the lone aim for the Flyers (36-27-9). Felix Sandstrom struggled within the workforce’s internet.
Sam Reinhart scored an empty-netter — his fiftieth aim of the season — to complete off the Flyers.
Tortorella’s membership is 2-3-1 on this seven-game gauntlet in opposition to contenders. The brutal stretch wraps up Tuesday in opposition to the Rangers, who lead the NHL with 47 wins.
The Flyers had a three-game level streak snapped (2-0-1).
The Panthers (46-20-5) had been lacking two of their higher gamers, Aleksander Barkov (undisclosed) and Aaron Ekblad (decrease physique), due to accidents.
The Flyers went 2-1-0 within the three-game regular-season sequence in opposition to Florida. The Flyers’ wins had been 2-1 selections on the highway.
Each groups Sunday had been on the second half of a back-to-back set. The Flyers beat the Bruins, 3-2, Saturday afternoon at dwelling, whereas the Panthers performed in New York and misplaced to the Rangers, 4-3, in a shootout. The sport ended at 11:04 p.m. ET. The Flyers had been unable to capitalize on what, a minimum of in principle, seemed like an advantageous spot.
• Regardless of the loss, the Flyers nonetheless maintain a playoff spot with 10 video games to go.
They have been in third place of the Metropolitan Division for the reason that finish of January. They entered Sunday with an 83.4 p.c likelihood to make the postseason, in accordance with Hockey-Reference.com’s chances report.
The Capitals are the closest on the Flyers’ tail within the division race. Washington is 2 factors again of the Flyers and has performed two fewer video games. The golf equipment meet April 16 on the Wells Fargo Middle within the regular-season finale for every workforce.
“You do not have time to breathe proper now, the playoff race is so tight,” Ryan Poehling stated. “We now have so many video games in such a brief quantity of days and that is sort of an excellent factor, too. We’re taking part in nicely, you simply sort of neglect about it and transfer on to the subsequent one.”
• Sandstrom, making his third begin of the season, transformed 11 saves on 14 pictures.
After the sport, when requested about Sandstrom, Tortorella shrugged and did not present a solution. Later, through the workforce’s vice chairman of hockey communications Joe Siville, Tortorella clarified, saying Sandstrom is “making an attempt his ass off.”
Carter Verhaeghe delivered the backbreaking aim when he motored previous rookie defenseman Adam Ginning and beat Sandstrom with a clear shot 4:43 minutes into the third interval. The 27-year-old backup bought a bit of it. The Flyers wanted a save there.
“I would like to have the ability to step up and hold us in it,” Sandstrom stated. “I am not too glad about in the present day.”
Reinhart opened the scoring within the first interval together with his forty ninth aim of the season. It was a shot Sandstrom may doubtless cease.
The Flyers weren’t good in protection, both. Florida exited the defensive zone by connecting on a move that an aggressive Sean Couturier tried to intercept. In consequence, the Flyers’ three forwards had been late to get again.
“It was simply a type of days the place I am like, ‘Why and the way did that occur?'” Sandstrom stated. “I’ve simply bought to be extra detailed and ensure I most likely observe them higher. … Not tremendous objectives to let in.”
Stolarz stopped 32 of the Flyers’ 33 pictures. He performed 19 profession video games for the Flyers earlier than being traded to the Oilers in 2019.
“Stolie performed an excellent sport,” Scott Laughton stated. “We had a pair on our stick that most likely ought to have went within the internet, however they did not and that is the end result.”
The Flyers’ last-ranked energy play went 1 for five. Brink’s aim got here with the Flyers’ internet emptied for the 6-on-4 benefit and made it 3-1.
In Half I of a two-part interview, Danny Briere sat down with Ashlyn Sullivan to debate his first yr because the Flyers’ basic supervisor.
• The Flyers took expensive penalties on the finish of the primary interval when a scrum ensued following the buzzer. Brink and Cam York had been hit with roughing infractions, whereas Matthew Tkachuk was the one Panther penalized.
Florida pounced on the early energy play alternative as Vladimir Tarasenko blasted dwelling a shot solely 55 seconds into the center stanza. The aim cushioned the Panthers’ result in 2-0.
It is undoubtedly stunning when a workforce comes out on the mistaken finish of penalties from a scrum except it is blatantly apparent one facet is inflicting extra chaos. Regardless, it was an enormous swing in opposition to the Flyers.
Going through a two-goal deficit, they performed with extra urgency however had nothing to indicate for it at second intermission.
“We are able to construct off the entire sport,” Tortorella stated. “We performed an excellent hockey sport.”
• The Flyers go to the Rangers on Tuesday for his or her first of two journeys to Madison Sq. Backyard (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
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