Earlier than the occasions of the final two and a half minutes of regulation within the Flyers’ 5-4 shootout defeat to the Vancouver Canucks, this paragraph is right here (which I, like many, once they write a abstract, had most of it as a placeholder written) mentioned the next:
The Flyers’ first recreation of the 2021-22 season introduced new faces, pleasure, a packed crowd and a scorching begin, after which … plenty of hockey that regarded prefer it was being performed by the 2020-21 Flyers. A recreation is simply that, and it might be silly to learn an excessive amount of right into a recreation simply because it is the prelude, however lots of the issues we’ll say in regards to the Flyers ____ loss to the Vancouver Canucks are issues we must always have mentioned can, who is aware of what number of losses the Flyers misplaced final season.
Little did I do know the Flyers had one other trick up their sleeves for the 2020-21 season: an offended final minute rally that in the end led to defeat. However hey, a minimum of this time they’d the courtesy to drag a TDC level out of it.
Let’s leap proper in. Since it is a loss, let’s begin with …
Some issues that have been unhealthy:
- The penalty kick. Issues collapsed for the Flyers within the second interval when a pair of penalty shootouts helped the Canucks rapidly flip the tide of the sport. An odd shot from Elias Pettersson ricocheted off the again partitions, Carter Hart, and into the web to offer the Canucks the lead they’d maintain till the Flyers’ regulation ended. A 5v4 was a 5v3 when the Flyers extremely managed to take too many males on the ice whereas taking a penalty and the Canucks doubled their lead when Alex Chiasson alone on the puck close by earlier than Hart might cowl it up or get assist. Some unlucky jumps in it and a few actually idiotic penalties that preceded them, however not a superb early omen for the query, “can the penalty shoot-out catch up after one other unhealthy yr?” Cam Atkinson mentioned after the sport that some guys could let their feelings outweigh their feelings on factors (extra on that in a second), but when that is the underside line one thing must be fastened.
- Carter Hart’s second interval. Hear. This pains me as a lot because it does you and all of us and Carter Hart. However after these two unlucky energy play objectives, each of which have been fairly unlucky (and preceded by a ravishing shot from Vasily Podkolzin, who hit Hart with a excessive glove to tie the sport at first of the second), snowball results occurred right here. and the Canucks’ final aim earlier than the shootout, whereas the whistle ought to have come earlier than JT Miller knocked it into the web, was a shot from an acute angle that any NHL goalkeeper wants to have the ability to cowl and management higher than he has. Hart recovered within the third interval and made a few massive 3-on-3 saves, which actually helped the discussions about him after the second interval (it wasn’t good!) -Write the historical past of his recreation somewhat. However for a second that fourth aim regarded just like the end result of a sequence of unhealthy breaks that preceded it. Because of him for not making it worse, however let’s hope it’s as unhealthy as will probably be sooner or later.
- The overall trajectory for the primary 56 minutes of the sport. The Flyers, with a reasonably sturdy residence crowd behind them, received off to a robust begin and ran straight into the primary interval within the first third of the sport. After which, as the sport went on and the Canucks took the lead, issues received … snowball-like. It looks as if they placed on so much final yr. A very good shot ends in a silly penalty which ends up in an unfortunate aim which doesn’t result in a lot offensively, which ends up in one other penalty which ends up in one other penalty, whereas on that unique PK and a 5v3 Aim that results in the unhealthy aim, leading to a frustration penalty on the finish of the second, leading to a really, very sluggish third interval wherein the Canucks dictated a reasonably sluggish section … the free kick has to come back sooner than the final minute doable. This recreation is more durable than “You probably did a superb factor, now we’re doing one thing good ourselves” however means too many occasions when this crew had a shitty leap towards them final yr it took means too lengthy to truly play it behind your self and one thing occur, and that was the story of that recreation between Podkolzin’s aim and the second the Flyers pulled Hart for the additional attacker. Perhaps it is a teaching factor, possibly a mentality factor, a management factor, a planning factor … I do not know. However that is typically a sport the place each motion has an equal and opposing response, and the Flyers’ opposing reactions are typically somewhat delayed like they have been tonight.
These have been the large tales in regards to the loss. However! In a barely shorter type:
Some issues that weren’t unhealthy:
- Joel Farabee. Nonetheless good.
- The brand new boys. Ryan Ellis regarded good subsequent to Ivan Provorov (who was additionally good). Keith Yandle had two secondary assists, each of which really helped arrange the aim. Cam Atkinson scored a aim and hummed the entire time. It did not end in a W, however the massive acquisitions that have been on the ice gave the impression to be serving to.
- The primary interval. For something that was like final season, this was actually new! Good enhance from everybody concerned early on.
- The ultimate push to tie it. Not simply due to the precise binding of the sport, however that was enjoyable too. (Hell of a job by Couturier and Giroux who had an awesome first interval however have been very, very calm as much as that second to get that defining aim. Giroux appeared to know precisely what he was going to do there and it labored. ) However man, the group that had been efficiently lulled to sleep by what had occurred all the two durations earlier than was alive when the flyers made it inside a gate and the rattling roof nearly got here off once they really tied the shackles factor. These individuals need to love this crew. You actually do. Simply give them causes for it. Ideally earlier than the ultimate minutes of regulation, however each time it is cool I suppose.
There’s extra to speak about right here, and we’ll have extra tomorrow. Seattle on Monday. Let’s dive into Dave Hakstol. Till then … down one, 81 left. Flyers go.
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