Back to being caved in
The underlying numbers have certainly looked better over the recent run of games, minus the extremely lucky win in Ottawa last week. But, tonight’s game was a return to (bad) form from earlier in the season, as the Flyers boasted a mere 23.31 percent of the expected goals at 5-on-5, per Natural Stat Trick. Now, the Hurricanes have continually been one of the best play-driving and shot suppression teams in the league for years running, but that’s a mark that is unacceptable against even the league’s best. The Flyers looked to be clawing themselves out of the advanced metrics hole they dug themselves in the recent point streak – but the Flyers could be returning to their awful ways after tonight’s effort.
Early power play chances go to waste
The Flyers power play continues to backslide from its early-season strengths, falling into the bottom third of the league in efficiency after tonight’s 0-for-3 performance. In a game where the Flyers earned three successive power plays in the first period following Jalen Chatfield’s opening goal, the Flyers could have really used some magic on special teams to claw back the momentum. Instead, the Flyers generated little momentum and offensive pressure on the man advantages, as the absence of both Jamie Drysdale and Emil Andrae continues to give the Flyers fits at the point position. Sanheim’s been great everywhere else, but the power play is just not the best fit for him. The team desperately needs one of its offensive defenseman back to man the power play, really.
Poehling gets first of season
Can’t go without mentioning the Flyers lone goal of the night! One of the coach’s favorites finally got on the board tonight, and it tied the game right away in the second period. Poehling, skating in with speed into the Carolina zone, beat Pyotr Kochetkov with a wrister that the goalie would certainly want back. Must have felt good for Poehling to get his first as he tries to build on last season’s breakout performance.
On a Wednesday night in Philadelphia, the Flyers followed up a narrow loss to an Avalanche with a blowout defeat to the Hurricanes. If Monday night’s game against the Avalanche was a well-played loss where the Flyers’ lack of high end talent reared its ugly head, the loss against the Hurricanes was the Flyers getting outplayed significantly in every facet. Ultimately, the loss is now the Flyers ninth loss in their last 10 games versus the Canes, as Carolina continues to be the Flyers toughest matchup.
The Basics
First period: 0:30 – Jalen Chatfield (Martinook, Carrier)
Second period: 2:13 – Ryan Poehling (Seeler, Cates)
Third period: 1:03 – Sebastian Aho (Unassisted), 6:02 – Jordan Staal (Orlov, Chatfield), 6:57 – Jack Roslovic (Aho)
SOG: 37 (CAR) – 19 (PHI)
Some Takeaways
Fedotov struggles, remains chaotic in net
After a seeing-eye wrister from Jalen Chatfield found its way into the back of the net in the first minute of the game, Fedotov was all over the place. He kept the Hurricanes off the scoresheet until Aho’s goal in the third, but his game certainly didn’t inspire confidence. His rebound control continues to be iffy, his play was adventurous behind the net, and he even whipped out the patented two-pad stack late in the second period (this was fun!).
Even with all that, effective chaos might just be the name of Fedotov’s game. Effective, though, is the keyword. The Flyers will take the chaos if it means Fedotov keeps the puck out of the net, but in efforts like tonight, Fedotov’s chaotic style leads to a mess on the ice and many goals in the back of the net. The Canes go-ahead goal was one Fedotov would certainly want back, and the Staal deflection went through the five-hole of Fedotov, a worrying pattern for the lanky goaltender.
A tale of two halves
Despite the scoreline, the Flyers legitimately hung with the Hurricanes through about the first period and a half. In the first, the Flyers outshot the Canes 11-10, and looked dangerous through Ryan Poehling’s second-period goal. But then, the Flyers’ strong play went by the wayside, and the Hurricanes proceeded to outshoot the Flyers 27-8 over the remainder of the game. They escaped the second unscathed, but three goals in quick fashion to open the third doomed the Flyers quickly. You simply can’t expect to win games consistently against top opponents when the offense can’t muster any periods of sustained pressure.
Nov 20, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal (11) and Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen (55) battle for position in front of goaltender Ivan Fedotov (82) during the third period at Wells Fargo Center.
Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
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