Watch PHLY Flyers Postgame

The Philadelphia Flyers were very strong in the first period, and for most of the first 35 minutes. But a few too many penalties and the offense not being able to solve Alex Lyon, or even generate any shots against the Buffalo Sabres for long stretches, resulted in one of the most disappointing losses of the season.

Trevor Zegras, Cam York and Noah Cates highlighted the early offense, with Travis Konecny scoring late, but it wasn’t to be as even a late delay of game penalty couldn’t set Matvei Michkov & Co. up to tie a game they’d once lead late in the second period. Horrible outcome, and one of the msot disappointing losses of the season.

First period

A rush off the opening faceoff and a centering pass from Travis Sanheim meant for Christian Dvorak that just skidded across the goalmouth results in a two minute minor against Rasmus Dahlin. Power play right away for the Orange & Black.

Buffalo got the kill, with the best chance coming right after the penalty expired on a couple of one-timer attempts by Jamie Drysdale, both of which failed to reach Alex Lyon. A shift later, Rodrigo Abols has an interception dropped right onto his tape as a Buffalo defender sends a breakout pass right up the middle to him, but Lyon shut down the bid from the slot, and the ensuing scrum gave us some very funny open mic moments. “HOW WAS I SUPPOSE TO KNOW?” a response to what I have to believe was a Sabre asking how he was supposed to know he was roughing up Abols after the Flyers’ 4C was pushed into the Buffalo net by another Sabre.

It took the Sabres nearly eight minutes, but they score the game’s first goal, allowing me to remind the readers of the customary “Flyers are 12-6-4 when allowing the first goal” statistic.

AND JUST LIKE THAT IT’S 1-1! Noah Cates finishes off a backhand feed from Bobby Brink to tie the game 58 seconds after Buffalo opened the scoring. It’s truly incredible how often they do this.

BIG HIT by Rasmus Ristolainen on Noah Ostlund as the latter attempted to exit the zone. Risto has been catching guys with the body around the neutral zone more than I remember. He’s always been “physical” but the big hits seemed to dry up as Brad Shaw worked him into a better all-around D-man. But so far, since returning, #55 has been a noticeable presence.

With 37 seconds left, Travis Konecny gets called for hooking on what looked like a play that could have been easily called against Bowen Byram. In the closing seconds, Zach benson found himself alone in front and received a pass off the boards, but Sam Ersson closed the door aggressively, challenging the shot from up high.

The Sabres are not good. They give the puck away like it’s a mandate. The NHL box score has credited them with 12 giveaways in the first period. Shots are 12-4 in favor of the Flyers, with the attempts even more lop-sided at 28-6. Honestly, an bit of a disappointing period for the Flyers. They dominated, but only come away tied, and will have to kill 1:23 of Buffalo power play time to start the second. They should be up a goal or two and en route to a laugher given how bad the Sabres were in the first 20 minutes. Now, they have a chance to stay in the game.

Second period

The Flyers completed the kill to start the period, although there were a couple of chances that the Sabres just couldn’t finish.

Trevor Zegras, Matvei Michkov and Brink are the trio after the penalty kill. I like that move by Rick Tocchet, get some non-PKers out there to see if they create something immediately after the other guys were busy killing a penalty.

That group got some time in the o-zone, but now Buffalo is back on offense and the Flyers have iced it. I don’t love the first few minutes here, and it’s making me evewn more disappointed Philly couldn’t take advantage of their dominant effort in the first 20 minutes.

After a decent chance for Sean Couturier on a pass from the far point in his skates at the RW circle that he had to adjust to, the Flyers get a power play after Alex Tuch tripped Emil Andrae into the boards as Andrae was chasing a dump-in. The Flyers are once again unsuccessful, and now there’s a penalty against Risto for cross-checking. Dvorak during the PP and Michkov immediately after both had decent chances, but no go.

These failed opportunities are going to cost them a game they’ve otherwise owned. Shots are 19-8 with 12:18 left in the second.

NEVER MIND! CAM YORK GIVES THE FLYERS THE LEAD ON A GREAT SETUP BY ZEGRAS! The Flyers worked the puck around the zone for a while, and then Zegras, covering up high for a roaming Travis Sanheim, got a pass from Sanheim and then immedaitely sent a no-look pass back to the right side where York was all alone to bury a shot behind Lyon. Great stuff. Ziggy rules.

But now Michkov is going to the box for goalie interference after barreling into Lyon, although it does look like he was bumped. OK, I guess. Philly completes the kill, and Ersson makes a save after the expiry to get a stop and change for his defenders. Not a ton of action, but a solid night thus far for the Flyers’ backup netminder.

Tage Thompson ties the game with 3:06 left in the second after Rasms Dahlin intercepted a Sanheim clear from the corner intended for a cherry-picking Coots, then made a nice through-the-legs feed in the slot back to Thompson. Really nice play, and not the best look for Philly’s #1 D-man or captain.

Now Buffalo has taken the lead. What the hell? Ostlund puts a shot through traffic from up high, and beats Ersson glove side.

What an awful result through 40 minutes. Philly’s inability to take advantage of power plays and a consistent string of Buffalo turnovers has the Flyers now trailing in a game in which they’ve outshot their opponent 22-14, and out-attempted them 43-31.

Philadelphia better come out on fire in the third. If they lose because Alex Lyon has 20 saves in the next 20 minutes in him, so be it. But there’s no reason they can’t come back and beat this bad Sabres team in regulation.

Third period

Well, not exactly the fire I was hoping for to start. Through more than three minutes, Buffalo is outshooting Philly 3-0.

There’s 13:30 left and the Sabres have pulled ahead in the shot battle, after once trailing 20-7. They have the last 14 shots in the game and lead 24-22 in the SOG count. Unacceptable.

Welp, there’s 9:58 left and Brink is headed to the box for a high-stick. Just gotta be smarter than this. Also, Buffalo lost a SOG at some point, and we’re all knotted up at 23. The Flyers have had some o-zone time, but I wouldn’t exactly call it “attack time.” They haven’t really threatened at all and we’re halfway through the third.

Welp, that didn’t take long. With all four Flyers on the LW side, Josh Norris was left completely alone on the RW circle, and he had all day to step in and beat Ersson five-hole. It’s 4-2. They’re cooked.

Zegras is still pushing, he’s fighting to cut the dificit in front, but can’t beat Lyon.

KONECNY FINALLY BREAKS THROUGH after a long offensive zone possession for his line that didn’t result in much, TK was able to get a deceptive shot through on a pass from Jamie Drysdale to make it a one-goal game with 5:32 left. Really strong shift for that line as they were able to keep pucks at the line and generate second and third chances on the possession before finally getting a chance and cashing in. More of that, please.

But the Zegras line stays out after a TV timeout, and it’s Zegras himself who takes a hooking minor with 4:41 left as he’s trying to get back into the neutral zone and lift Ryan McLeod’s stick. Ugh. This is an extremely annoying game.

The Flyers catch a late break with 2:19 left the get a power play when Mattias Samuelsson plays the puck over the glass. Rick Tocchet elected to go 6v4 with 1:49 left, sending Michkov over the boards for Ersson, but even the considerable advantage in man power wasn’t enough and after the penalty expired, Buffalo netted the ENG to seal it. BOOOOOO!

One of the worst losses of the year.

Watch PHLY Flyers Postgame