“When you’re in a race for (the) playoffs, you obviously focus on what you have to do and how you have to play,” Giroux said. Giroux acknowledged afterward that matchups against playoff contenders are heightened, and that these “statement” games motivate the Flyers. Now, it’s the Rangers, who came in with more momentum than the Panthers and Blue Jackets combined - but, at least in Game 1 of the weekend back-to-back, they were handed a similar result as Philadelphia’s past vanquished foes. Next up, the reeling Columbus Blue Jackets, and the Flyers were happy to perpetuate their death spiral, saddling them with two more losses (one in overtime). First, the Florida Panthers, whom the Flyers dispatched by a combined score of 10-3. In each of the past three weeks, the Flyers have been tasked with double matchups against Eastern Conference teams with legitimate designs on the postseason. Now, they’re delivering daggers straight to the hearts of bubble teams, as they’ve lifted themselves above the fray. When February began, the Flyers qualified as a bubble playoff team, a club that seemingly would have to scratch and claw for one of the final spots. That’s not a typo - since around mid-January, the Flyers have been playing like one of the NHL’s best teams, and they’re showing no signs of slowing down. It surely served as a reality check for the Rangers, who were reminded that - hot streak aside - they have work to do before they’re on the level of the best teams in the league. They attacked off the rush, broke New York down via the cycle, outshot them, outchanced them and won 5-2 - a score that undersold the quality of the performance. In a way, this felt like a glimpse of the Flyers’ ceiling. ![]() This was the rare night when every skater was rolling. Per Natural Stat Trick, no Flyers player posted a negative on-ice expected goals share at 5-on-5. “I thought everyone played great tonight, especially Coots’ line,” Hayes said after the win, and he wasn’t wrong. How did the Flyers do it? The ability to roll four lines and three defensive pairs and have each of them make a positive impact certainly helps. The Flyers just outclassed a Rangers team that entered Friday feeling quite good about themselves. But it went beyond schedule effects and injuries. ![]() ![]() Yes, losing Chris Kreider to a fractured foot in the first period (on a Philippe Myers slap shot) didn’t help matters for New York. ![]() Sure, the Rangers were in the second night of a back-to-back, while the Flyers were rested. Once Philadelphia settled in, around the midpoint of the first period, the Rangers barely looked worthy of being on the same ice. Instead, the Flyers continued their ascension into the stratosphere. So when Fast caught Hart off guard with a tricky wrist shot and then got to the rebound first to give his club a 1-0 lead - and the Flyers spent the next five minutes struggling with turnovers and decision-making - it was shaping up as one of those dreaded “come back to earth” nights. Flyers continue to prove they’re for realįor a few minutes at the start of the game, one possibly could have wondered if this was when the cracks would start to show for the Flyers.Īfter all, the Rangers are one of the only teams who could be considered “hotter” than the Flyers, as they rolled into Philadelphia on a 9-1-0 run that propelled them into the playoff chase. Carter Hart earned the win in goal, stopping 26 shots, while Alexandar Georgiev took the loss, relinquishing five goals on a 40-shot barrage.ġ. Claude Giroux scored twice to lead the way, while James van Riemsdyk, Sean Couturier and Kevin Hayes each added a goal.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |