Instant reactions: Konecny, Tippett, Zegras and Flyers offense no-shows BIG GAME vs. Columbus

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The Philadelphia Flyers are “rebuilding” the way they are to get their young players BIG GAME experience.

Tonight’s matchup with Zach Werenski and the Columbus Blue Jackets qualified as big, but Philly’s effort does not meet the same criteria, despite a solid first period.

Sean Couturier, who scored the Flyers’ only goal until Jamie Drysdale made it 3-2 late in the third, put a shot on Jet Greaves with 17:06 left in the third period. Philadelphia’s next shot? By Coots, with 3:03 remaining in regulation. Simply not good enough from a team that still considers itself “in it.”

First period

Highlight: Sean Couturier opens the scoring! Captain Coots, who famously had a 31-game goal drought (35 games between goals against a goaltender), scored his eighth of the season on a put-back in front. Couturier got the sequence started with a big hit on the right wing wall on Mason Marchment to start a scrum that ultimately led to Rasmus Ristolainen getting a point shot off. Luke Glendening, who, like Coots returned to the lineup after two games out, poked the rebound across the crease behind Jet Greaves, allowing Couturier to bang it home for the 1-0 lead.

What I want to see next period: More of this aggression. Owen Tippett and Noah Cates each got breakaways in the period, and Cates was even awarded a short-handed penalty shot for his efforts. Neither converted their chances, but in a big-game scenario, I’m liking the Flyers outshooting and chancing the Blue Jackets by a considerable margin, and equaling Columbus’s physicality.

Second period

Highlight: The Flyers entered the period with a 1-0 lead and once two-and-a-half minutes had elapsed in the second, the home team trailed 2-1. Mathieu Olivier and Zach Werenski gave the Blue Jackets the lead and not much went right for Philly, with a “how didn’t he score?!” chance for Noah Cates on the power play, and a ridiculous embellishment call against Matvei Michkov off a Dante Fabbro cross-check, which also led to Fabbro fighting Christian Dvorak.

What I want to see next period: Dan Vladar step up in a big game. Sure, the offense is huge here, they have to score a couple. But while I wouldn’t put either goal on Vladar alone, and while he did make nine saves, several of them big in the middle frame, I’d like to see CBJ’s total remain at zero to give the boys a chance in regulation.

Third period

Highlight: Jamie Drysdale scores his eighth of the year with 2:04 left and Vladar pulled for the extra attacker, making it 3-2, Columbus. Unfortunately, you can’t go about 14 minutes between shots on goal in a must-win game, as the Flyers did in the middle of the third, and expect to pull off some late-game heroics. But still, Drysdale continuing to produce offensively is cool.

Final note: Just not enough juice in this one. The Flyers started well, which is off-brand for them, but gave it up early in the second and never looked dangerous until their net was empty for the final three minutes. Just not good enough from everybody in a BIG GAME.

Watch PHLY Flyers Postgame