Photo Credit: FNG’s Rob Windfelder
Less than 24 hours since their last meeting in Philly the Flyers and Caps were at it again in Washington tonight. Unfortunately for the Flyers things picked up kind of right where they left off.
Ivan Fedotov and Logan Thompson got the starts tonight. After last night’s game it was no surprise to see Nicolas Deslauriers stay in the line-up. The previous game was not a very friendly match. Nick Seeler was back again which is a plus. Bobby Brink was a scratch. Jett Luchanko was also not in the line-up.
The Caps scouting may have suggested shooting at Fedotov from the blue line. After a couple attempts Taylor Raddysh redirected a slapper from the point to make it 1-0 Capitals 4:50 into the 1st period. Five minutes in and the Flyers were already playing from behind again.
Travis Konecny made an excellent defensive play to keep Dylan Strome from hitting Alexander Ovechkin with a pass on a 2-on-1 break. You have Ovechkin on the ice and you get caught with one guy back and it’s a forward. Structures are not staying intact for the Flyers. Fundamentals were breaking down all over the ice.
Both teams combined for 9 total shots-on-goal in the 1st period. Six for the Caps, 3 for the Flyers. The Capitals continued to frustrate the Flyers by playing very aggressively at their own blue line. Jamie Drysdale seemed to be their favorite target, and it was effective. The first intermission arrived with the visiting Flyers down 1-0.
2nd Period
The Flyers started the 2nd period desperately needing to show some signs of life. Less than a minute in Deslauriers hit the post on a delayed penalty call. Deslauriers had a good night, moving the puck well, finishing checks, he was a stand-out.
Second periods have not been kind to the Flyers and this one started out as more of the same. Nic Dowd scored from the slot at 2:49. It was a wrist shot that beat Fedotov under the pad as he was getting down to the butterfly position.
Connor McMichael scored his first goal of the game 4:04 into the period. He beat Fedotov forehand to backhand on a clean breakaway. Less than three minutes later McMichael redirected a shot from the point to make it 4-0. That quick the Capitals had scored 3 goals on 4 shots only 7:16 into the period.
Momentum Swing
Pierre-Luc Dubois took a roughing penalty against Travis Konecny at 10:48 which put the Flyers on their 3rd power-play of the game. Matvei Michkov who was much more visible in this game passed to Konecny who launched a shot up and over Thompson’s shoulder short side from the goal line. It was a perfectly placed off-angle shot that got the Flyers on the board and into the game.
The Caps were swarming in the Flyers end Fedotov came up with a huge pad save against Dubois that he really needed to make. Play made its way down the other end and Owen Tippett tipped in an Egor Zamula shot to bring the Flyers within two. The Flyers were coming back to life.
As time was running down in the period the Capitals had the Flyers bottled up in their own end. Morgan Frost was on the ice for over a minute and a half before he sprung himself on a breakaway. The net must have seemed a mile away but Frost dug deep and found the energy to stay ahead of the pack and get the shot on goal. At first glance it seemed Frost had beaten Thompson between the legs. A review showed that the puck never crossed the goal line. Frost led his team with seven shots on goal for the night.
3rd Period
The Flyers went into the final period with momentum on their side. There was one shift with Konecny, Couturier, and Michkov where the Flyers were absolutely swarming in the Washington zone. Konecny had a very solid game, creating numerous chances and registering five shots on goal. There were actually a lot of positives in the second half of this contest.
Ryan Poehling blocked a John Carlson slapshot that left him crawling on his hands and knees to the Flyers bench. There was no whistle as the puck moved up to the other end of the ice. Play went on. After Poehling finally reached the bench he made his way to the locker room. Poehling was obviously in a lot of pain and unable to skate to the bench. Why the on ice officials did not see fit to stop play is a mystery. He did return later in the period.
Matvei Michkov who looked much more like his crafty self in this game brought the Flyers to within one goal 6:36 into the 3rd period. He skated the puck to the top of the slot and released a bar-down shot to the top corner through traffic in front. The Flyers had taken the advantage in shots-on-goal 25-18. They were down by one goal with plenty of hockey still to be played. Fedotov was stopping pucks. The Flyers were refusing to be pushed around. It was like old times.
With six minutes left and the Capitals on the power-play Ovechkin was left all alone in his favorite spot at the top of the left circle. You could watch it all coming together as the puck was fed to him. This was going to put it away … but it didn’t, Fedotov gobbled up the shot and the Flyers chances were still alive.
Twilight Zone
As time was running short Fedotov was pulled for the extra attacker. Jamie Drysdale had control of the puck in the Flyers end. Drysdale passed the puck to Zamula who was looking right at Drysdale with his stick on the ice, Zamula turned away from the puck and skated to the Flyers bench as the pass was on its way to him. Pierre-Luc Dubois took custody of the orphaned puck and put it into the empty net. It was a very unfortunate and mystifying turn of events.
The Flyers valiant come-back effort was beyond hope. And just in case it wasn’t, Ovechkin scored another in the empty net to make the final score 6-3 in favor of the Capitals.
In any normal situation this game would be considered a disaster. But things are so low for the Flyers right now that this game has to be considered a vast improvement. I’m not kicking the team when they’re down. I am acknowledging that tonight they actually showed some signs of getting up.
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