Photo Credits: FNG’s Rob Windfelder
The Philadelphia Flyers played host to the Washington Capitals in what proved to be the final game of their 2023-24 season. The Capitals had one less loss and one more win than the Flyers when the puck dropped on the final game of the regular season for both teams.
The Flyers needed to win this game in regulation, they also needed Montreal to beat Detroit in the same fashion to keep their playoff hopes alive. Before this early rebuild season got underway for the Orange and Black it was not expected that their 82nd game of the season would have any implications whatsoever. If it wasn’t for a tragic streak of losses over the past few weeks this game wouldn’t have any meaning. The team would have already been a lock heading to the post-season.
Philly vs Washington
The Flyers did a respectable job throughout the course of this game. They were somewhat cautious from the onset. They did not register their first shot on goal until well into the 1st period. So many times over the course of their recent losing streak games were getting away from them because of early goals. The two wins that led up to tonight’s game showed far more discipline.
Perhaps this was what coach John Tortorella was talking about when he said things about taking it up to a different level at this time of year. The forwards were backchecking and the entire team was supporting their goaltender Samuel Ersson. The Flyers were keeping the Capitals from registering many dangerous chances, but when they did Ersson got the job done.
At 11:43 the Flyers appeared to draw first blood. Joel Farabee fired a puck that went off of Washington netminder Charlie Lindgren. The referee lost sight of the puck and blew the play dead as the puck landed in the crease and rolled into the Washington net. The goal was reviewed and much to the disapproval of the Philadelphia Fans the ruling on the ice stood and the goal was not allowed.
The Flyers produced a number of good chances as the game went on. Travis Konecney, Owen Tippet, and Ryan Poehling all stood out offensively. The Capitals had a game plan to keep the Flyers nibbling around the edges. It was successful and they stuck with it for most of the contest. They were not giving the Flyers an inch to work with in the Washington zone but allowing them to shoot from the tops of the circles along the side boards. Charlie Lindgren had plenty of vision from that distance and gobbled those shots up all night long.
A lucky break
As the 1st period was winding down Dylan McIlrath fired an off angle shot that went off of the shaft of Alex Ovechkin’s stick and into the net. The Flyers had done their due diligence in and around their net all period and an unintentional redirect sent them into the 1st intermission down by a goal.
The Flyers came out a bit more aggressive in the 2nd period. They had to, they were playing catch-up. They were finishing checks, getting more traffic in front, and bottling the Caps up in their own end at times.
Erik Johnson put the Flyers on the board at 12:29 of the 2nd period tipping in an Egor Zamula shot through traffic.
Special teams
The Flyers had one power play during the course of the game. In fact that was the only penalty called during the entire 60 minutes. There could have been a number of power play opportunities for the Flyers but the ref could not find his whistle. We all know that it may be considered bad form to blame the officiating but I’m just accurately describing what I saw. Time and time again infractions were allowed and play went on.
Riding the pines
John Tortorella set the tone early on as bench boss of the Flyers. You either give him what he is asking for or you get benched. It doesn’t matter who you are. During the 2nd period of tonight’s game three Flyers forwards fell out of favor with the coach. Morgan Frost, Bobby Brink, and Cam Atkinson did not take a shift for the duration of the game. The Flyers were rolling three lines and they looked fine doing so. The line of Noah Cates, Ryan Poehling, and Garnet Hathaway were particularly effective.
The standings
The Flyers chances of making it to the post season relied on a couple different things that were happening tonight. They had to win this game in regulation and the Detroit Red Wings had to lose the same way. Detroit was down by a goal in the final seconds of their game against the Montreal Canadiens. The Red Wings tied the score at four with just five seconds left in regulation ending the Flyers playoff hopes.
Empty net
The Flyers needed to win this game in regulation so they pulled Samuel Ersson to send out an extra attacker with only a few minutes left and the score tied at one. Ersson had put in a fine performance making many key saves over the course of the night. He had allowed only one goal off an incidental deflection yet he was relegated to bench to watch as the Flyers season was coming to an end.
Nic Dowd got control of the puck in the Washington zone and dumped it up along the side-boards towards the Flyers zone. Garnet Hathaway took a swipe at the puck but it was controlled by a flying T.J. Oshie. Hathaway tried to pivot but lost his footing and Oshie blew past him and put the puck in the empty Flyers net. Only a matter of seconds separated the goal in Montreal and the goal in Philly both of which on their own would have ended the Flyers playoff eligibility.
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Much to their credit, it took 82 games for the Flyers to be eliminated from a chance to return to the post season. Many, many things took place over the course of this season to add up to this outcome. Hathaway loosing his footing was not what caused this to happen. He has been a great addition to the team and his contribution is part of what got them to where they are. The Flyers are a team with a future. They are a team that was never supposed to be this far along this early in the rebuild. Their hard work and tenacity proved a whole lot of people wrong. And the best is yet to come.
Extra Credit: I would like to thank the Flyers Fans who make the Flyers Nitty Gritty part of their ice hockey experience all throughout the season. Thanks also to the Flyers organization for their hospitality and access to the team. It is my pleasure to spend time and interact with you as we go through all the ins and outs and ups and downs of the greatest game on earth.
