The Philadelphia Flyers faced a monumental challenge against the Colorado Avalanche, one of the NHL’s most explosive and dynamic teams.
Despite falling short in a 3-2 loss, the Flyers that showcased their ability to skate with even the most energetic teams throughout entire games, but also revealed how vulnerable they still are, with multiple players getting banged up and possibly landing more blows on an already slowly-depleting lineup.
A Resilient Fightback In The Third Period
After entering the final frame down 2-0, the Flyers refused to roll over. Goals from Owen Tippett and Tyson Foerster brought the team within a goal of forcing overtime, electrifying the Wells Fargo Center and tipping the momentum more in their favor. It was a testament to the team’s growing ability to respond under pressure, a hallmark of the identity they’re striving to forge.
The Flyers’ effort in the third period demonstrated a sense of urgency and belief, but they weren’t immune from elementary mistakes that ultimately cost them the game.
“A lot of the game I liked as we kept going, but goddamn, we do stupid stuff,” head coach John Tortorella said after the game. “It’s so aggravating, the stuff we do that should be out of our game.”
One of the harshest evaluations came from Travis Konecny’s failure to cover Cale Makar, who would score twice during the game.
Megan DeRuchie-The Hockey News
“It’s a bad read [from me],” Konecny admitted. “I’m puck-watching. It’s frustrating when you look at the end of the game. It’s a one-goal game.”
“It’s dumb,” Tortorella said. “[Konecny] just left the best player in the world to go chase a puck. If we’re going to get over the hump, that can’t happen—not from a guy we’re depending on.”
Banged Up
The Flyers seriously struggled with injuries last season, particularly with their defense, and the pattern unfortunately looks to be repeating itself.
Top-pair defenseman Cam York has been out of commission since Oct. 23 with an upper-body injury, and while he has been skating in practices in a full-contact jersey, there isn’t an official timeline of when he could return to the lineup.
Jamie Drysdale has also been unavailable due to an upper-body injury, and has been skating in practices in a non-contact jersey.
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Emil Andrae, who was called up from the AHL once York was officially ruled out, was doing…