The Curse of Niittymaki: Flyers lose to ThrashJets again

by Travis Hughes on Nov 19, 2011 6:17 PM EST in Philadelphia Flyers Game Recaps - 11-12

[Shift Charts] - [Head-to-Head TOI] - [Corsi and Fenwick] - [5-on-5 Faceoffs]

The Philadelphia Flyers again pulled off another almost-comeback against the Winnipeg Jets, but in another game with little defense and lots of scoring, they just couldn't seem to complete the effort.

Just as it did in the 9-8 game against the Jets last month in Philly, it all went downhill early. Defensive breakdowns, bad goaltending, a ton of penalties and absolutely nothing that resembled a forecheck were all problems in the first period for the Flyers, and Winnipeg led 3-1 after the first twenty minutes.

Just as it seemed like the Flyers were settling in, Winnipeg popped in a shorthanded goal five minutes into the second and then another five minutes later to make the score a seemingly insurmountable 5-1. But that's when the Flyers are apparently able to wake up against the ThrashJets, and from that point on, they turned on the heat. Scoring chances were all over the place, but a mix of lucky and good on the part of goalie Ondrej Pavelec kept the pucks mostly out of the net.

The Flyers scored one, kept the pressure up and almost scored another right before the second period buzzer that would've made it a 5-3 game. But again, the bad luck came into play and the goal didn't count. Matt Read did all he could to bring the sexy back in the third period, scoring two goals as the Flyers' charge continued.

In the end, though, it was a silly miscue -- Sergei Bobrovsky coming out of the goal for the extra attacker too soon -- that probably killed the Flyers chances of completing the comeback. In a game where the Flyers took 10 minor penalties (not all deserved, but nevertheless), it's hard to feel too bad for them in defeat.

Simply put, they showed up for this one too late, and the Jets didn't choke it away.

Questions with Answers

How do the Flyers replace Jaromir Jagr? It was hard to tell with so much speciality teams play, but Harry Zolnierczyk got time there, as did Matt Read. It worked. Both looked good, and both Hartnell and Giroux were still effective.
Whoever gets back into the lineup for Jagr, be it Shelley or Nodl, how do they look? Been a while since either of them played. Shelley was awful, as you could have guessed. Only played 2:19 after a horrible giveaway in the first period.
Defensively, the Flyers were horrible against Winnipeg last time out. I mean, obviously. What adjustments are made, and are those adjustments anything more than Oh, Chris Pronger Is Here? They were horrible in the first period, then settled in.
The Jets are another team that takes a lot of penalties. Conversely, the Flyers PP has languished a bit lately. Seems like a good recipe, no? The Jets and Flyers surprisingly both ended up with 28 penalty minutes apiece, but yeah... the power play scored two goals tonight. So that's good.
How is Ilya Bryzgalov received from fans in Winnipeg that he insulted while with the Coyotes? He didn't play, but apparently they put him on the jumbotron in the third period and he waved while getting booed.

Comment of the Night

Antero Niittymaki where are you?

>> jello44

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Comments

def just misread that as “Thrashettes” not “ThrashJets”

by Mr_Bnuts on Nov 19, 2011 6:23 PM EST reply actions

Matt Read is a sniper! Those goals were lasers. Love em.

by Gonzotatcics on Nov 19, 2011 6:32 PM EST reply actions

This. I was calling for Lavi to put Read on with G on the PP. He is uncanny at being in the right position, as well as having a great shot.

GMAT verbal section question, Philadelphia sports version.
In 2015, which one of the following will prove to be a better investment?
(a) Ilya Bryzgalov's contract (b) Ryan Howard's extension (c) Mike Vick's extension (d) Greek bonds from 2009 (e) Papelbon's reported bloat-signing

by Bud in TN on Nov 19, 2011 7:21 PM EST up reply actions

I’ll have to take a look at the shift chart when it’s out, cause the lines seemed to be all over the place. Come on back whenever you’re ready, Jags.

I root for the All-Hype Team.

by everybodyhitswoohoo on Nov 19, 2011 7:01 PM EST reply actions

I was listening to the radio for this game since I was at work, and I completely gave up trying to along after the second or third time Tim Saunders informed us that a line was different.

Warning: Arguing the NHL CBA with me could be hazardous to your mental health. Proceed at your own risk.

by DragonGirl0583 on Nov 19, 2011 7:22 PM EST up reply actions

Here’s what I can tell, from looking at the chart.

Lines in the first period:
Read-Talbot-Voracek
Simmonds-Briere-JVR
Hartnell-Giroux-Zolnierczyk
Shelley-Couturier-Rinaldo

Couturier kinda just floated around across other lines, too.

This all held up in the second period up until the Winnipeg shortie, and after that I’m actually not sure that they used the same line at 5-on-5 twice. Though to be fair there was very little actual 5-on-5 time in the 2nd period, so we couldn’t draw much from it anyways. The only particularly interesting thing I could see was that Simmonds didn’t touch the ice from 5:30 to 19:06 in the second period.

Then the 3rd period started, and for the most part, they looked like this:
Couturier-Talbot-Voracek
Hartnell-Giroux-Read
Simmonds-Briere-JVR

Zolnierczyk and Rinaldo both only had one shift, and Talbot was on the ice with them for it. Shelley did not play at all in the third.

So from the looks of things, he kept that Briere line in tact but shifted around the other guys in the top nine, with Harry Z getting a lot of time early and Couturier getting a lot more time late.

I have no idea how much to read into any of this, since hopefully Jagr will be back on Monday. But if you keep Hartnell-G-Jagr, JVR-Briere-Simmonds, and Read-Talbot-Voracek in place…there’s your Top 9.

I root for the All-Hype Team.

by everybodyhitswoohoo on Nov 20, 2011 12:01 AM EST up reply actions

The only particularly interesting thing I could see was that Simmonds didn’t touch the ice from 5:30 to 19:06 in the second period.

My bar was packed (and apparently several BSH readers were there) so I couldn’t watch as close as I’d have liked. Was there any reason why Simmonds (or as one customer called him, Rick Chocchlet because of his similar playing style to Rick Tocchet) went so long without a shift? Was he having a bad night, or get dinged up with a minor injury?

by EC.Comedy on Nov 20, 2011 11:44 AM EST up reply actions

Good possibility that was because of PK and PP. Flyers took a few right on top of each other, one was they 5 – 3 for 2 minutes, so it may have just been he didn’t get out because of that, and there was one PP the Flyers had where the first unit spent almost the entire time on the ice, think it was in the 2nd.

G, the second coming of Foppa.
Embrace the Jagr.*

by JerseyDriver on Nov 20, 2011 12:48 PM EST up reply actions

I saw on the box score Jody Shelley got a misconduct, what did he do?

by Parduno on Nov 19, 2011 7:26 PM EST reply actions

10 mins for being a waste of time and money

by JpH89 on Nov 19, 2011 9:27 PM EST up reply actions

basically true.

Hyka'n it up a notch.

by Brock on Nov 19, 2011 9:41 PM EST up reply actions

We lost to the Jets again? Fire Peter Luukko.

Do you see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?

by mikefive on Nov 19, 2011 8:08 PM EST reply actions

And promote Nicky Luukko

by JpH89 on Nov 19, 2011 9:28 PM EST up reply actions

Ugh, thought it was going to be a fun Saturday afternoon watching hockey. Instead it was a really boring game that got slightly interesting in the third, only to end with a terribly timed goalie pull that killed the comeback. It’s only November, but still, games like this suck.

by GregF on Nov 19, 2011 10:22 PM EST reply actions

The Jets? Really? Again?

"I wouldn’t run if there was a fire. I wouldn’t run anywhere. I hate running." - O. Munn

by doubleh on Nov 19, 2011 11:27 PM EST via iPhone app reply actions

When you’re a Jet, you’re a Jet all the way!
From your first 9-8 win to your last hockey play!

Do you see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?

by mikefive on Nov 20, 2011 12:24 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs

I think any recap from a Sharks-Jets game needs to totally be nothing but West Side Story parody.

"I wouldn’t run if there was a fire. I wouldn’t run anywhere. I hate running." - O. Munn

by doubleh on Nov 20, 2011 12:48 AM EST via iPhone app up reply actions 8 recs

This!

Proud provider of the PECO Power Play.

by coheedandtbs on Nov 20, 2011 1:07 AM EST via mobile up reply actions

January 12. If neither Fear The Fin nor Arctic Ice Hockey do this, I will have lost all my faith in humanity.

Editor at SB Nation's Philadelphia Union blog, The Brotherly Game. Follow me on Twitter.

by Justin F. on Nov 20, 2011 1:12 AM EST up reply actions

I think we should do an honorary recap fanpost.

"I wouldn’t run if there was a fire. I wouldn’t run anywhere. I hate running." - O. Munn

by doubleh on Nov 20, 2011 9:50 PM EST up reply actions

I hope Niitty is back from IR by then and he starts that game, I want to know if his win streak against that franchise continues. Because yes, his streak of never losing to that franchise is still alive.

Warning: Arguing the NHL CBA with me could be hazardous to your mental health. Proceed at your own risk.

by DragonGirl0583 on Nov 20, 2011 10:27 AM EST up reply actions

This. So much this. I can’t wait to see this happen.

Lightning strikes once, Hextall strikes twice!
"I think there is virtue in pissing off idiots." - Fehr and Balanced

by hintzy64 on Nov 20, 2011 11:21 AM EST up reply actions

The Jets could sing:

We used to play in A-me-ri-ca,
But no one cared in A-me-ri-ca!
Deep in the red in A-me-ri-ca,
Now we don’t play in A-me-RI-caaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Do you see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?

by mikefive on Nov 20, 2011 4:58 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

Now we must hockey * in Win-ni-peg!
It is so cold here in Win-ni-peg!
There are no parks here in Win-ni-peg!
Let’s boo Bryzgalov in Win-NI-peeeeeeeeehhhhhg!

Here, “hockey” is an intransitive verb meaning “to play professional hockey.”

Do you see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?

by mikefive on Nov 20, 2011 10:23 PM EST up reply actions

brilliant

Editor at SB Nation's Philadelphia Union blog, The Brotherly Game. Follow me on Twitter.

by Justin F. on Nov 21, 2011 2:31 AM EST up reply actions

Anyone else glad the Jets will be heading to the West next year?

by eparico72 on Nov 20, 2011 10:21 AM EST reply actions

Or will they?

G-stache

by Philly37 on Nov 20, 2011 2:58 PM EST up reply actions

Good point; no matter where everyone ends up after realignment, we also don’t know what the new schedule format is going to be. If divisions are going to have 7 or 8 teams apiece; the current system of “6 games against each team in division/ 4 games each against each team in the rest of the conference/18 games total against the other conference” is not going to work anymore. I have no idea what the new format will be, so who knows how often we’ll play Winnipeg in the future.

Warning: Arguing the NHL CBA with me could be hazardous to your mental health. Proceed at your own risk.

by DragonGirl0583 on Nov 20, 2011 3:04 PM EST up reply actions

I cannot imagine making a team from Winnipeg play another year in the Eastern Conf.

Formerly... "You don't have to be sweet, to be good"

by Ed Van Chimp on Nov 20, 2011 3:22 PM EST up reply actions

They probably won’t be in the east next year, but the league could have a NFL/MLB type thing were geographic location has nothing to do with what conference the team is in.

G-stache

by Philly37 on Nov 20, 2011 10:38 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

I understand that, but at the very least they should not be playing Washington, Tampa, Carolina and Florida 12 times on the road.

Formerly... "You don't have to be sweet, to be good"

by Ed Van Chimp on Nov 20, 2011 11:13 PM EST up reply actions

This team is like the Astros of hockey.

Formerly... "You don't have to be sweet, to be good"

by Ed Van Chimp on Nov 20, 2011 1:33 PM EST reply actions

Well I guess that makes Byfugnut El Bycaballo which of course we’ll change according to El Byfaballo.

by j reed on Nov 20, 2011 11:39 PM EST up reply actions

So it’s By the Flabby One.

by j reed on Nov 20, 2011 11:42 PM EST up reply actions

9-8, 5-4...Winnipeg...

what in the wide, wide world of sports is a goin’ on here—————————————|

|—————————————————————-somebody’s gotta go back and getta shit loada of dimes

…life’s a bit richer when there’s slim pickens

by j reed on Nov 20, 2011 4:51 PM EST reply actions

For a second there last night

Giroux was the NHL’s leading point scorer.

Then Toronto annihilated Washington…

Simon Gagne AND Mike Richards may move between towns, wear new jerseys and call different arenas home but, at the end of the day, they will both always be Philadelphia Flyers.

One day Sean Couturier will win the Conn Smythe. You heard it here first.

by PursuitOfLappyness on Nov 20, 2011 6:40 PM EST reply actions