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The Flyers allowed three first period goals and dug themselves a 4-0 hole before losing by a final of 6-2 against the Coyotes in Arizona on Saturday night.
Tyler Pitlick and Justin Braun scored the only goals for the Flyers, which pretty much tells you all you need to know about how this one went offensively. As for defensively, they allowed five goals on 21 shots against a Coyotes team that absolutely nobody would mistake for the late 1980s Oilers.
Carter Hart got yanked in the first period and Brian Elliott wasn’t much better in relief as neither goaltender could do much behind a Flyers defensive effort that left much to be desired yet again.
In the end, it’s another chapter in what has become a nightmare road trip for Alain Vigneault’s club. The loss drops them to 1-4 on the trip with a visit to Carolina to face the Hurricanes to cap the season-long road trip.
Just get this team back in the Eastern time zone and in the friendly confines of the Wells Fargo Center, please.
Some numbers
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I mean, at least they weren’t a total disaster? At least they were still skating and trying and stuff.
On-ice
| Player | Position | TOI | CF | CA | CF% | CF% Rel | FF | FA | FF% | FF% Rel | SF | SA | SF% | SF% Rel | GF | GA | GF% | GF% Rel | xGF | xGA | xGF% | xGF% Rel | SCF | SCA | SCF% | SCF% Rel | HDCF | HDCA | HDCF% | HDCF% Rel | Off. Zone Shift Starts | Neu. Zone Shift Starts | Def. Zone Shift Starts | On the Fly Shift Starts | Off. Zone Shift Start % | Off. Zone Faceoffs | Neu. Zone Faceoffs | Def. Zone Faceoffs | Off. Zone Faceoff % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Position | TOI | CF | CA | CF% | CF% Rel | FF | FA | FF% | FF% Rel | SF | SA | SF% | SF% Rel | GF | GA | GF% | GF% Rel | xGF | xGA | xGF% | xGF% Rel | SCF | SCA | SCF% | SCF% Rel | HDCF | HDCA | HDCF% | HDCF% Rel | Off. Zone Shift Starts | Neu. Zone Shift Starts | Def. Zone Shift Starts | On the Fly Shift Starts | Off. Zone Shift Start % | Off. Zone Faceoffs | Neu. Zone Faceoffs | Def. Zone Faceoffs | Off. Zone Faceoff % |
| Justin Braun | D | 11.383333333333 | 16 | 5 | 76.19 | 22.34 | 12 | 4 | 75.00 | 22.62 | 8 | 2 | 80.00 | 25.16 | 2 | 1 | 66.67 | 66.67 | 0.58 | 0.12 | 82.46 | 34.04 | 6 | 2 | 75.00 | 34.09 | 2 | 0 | 100.00 | 57.14 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 42.86 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 50.00 |
| Nicolas Aube-Kubel | R | 10.566666666667 | 17 | 6 | 73.91 | 19.91 | 13 | 6 | 68.42 | 14.57 | 11 | 5 | 68.75 | 12.75 | 2 | 1 | 66.67 | 66.67 | 0.67 | 0.35 | 65.88 | 14.25 | 7 | 3 | 70.00 | 30.00 | 2 | 1 | 66.67 | 20.51 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 100.00 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 72.73 |
| Shayne Gostisbehere | D | 14.433333333333 | 18 | 7 | 72.00 | 17.83 | 14 | 5 | 73.68 | 22.40 | 10 | 3 | 76.92 | 23.35 | 2 | 2 | 50.00 | 50.00 | 0.68 | 0.25 | 73.44 | 24.67 | 7 | 4 | 63.64 | 21.53 | 3 | 1 | 75.00 | 33.33 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 42.86 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 44.44 |
| Andy Andreoff | C | 6.2666666666667 | 7 | 3 | 70.00 | 11.27 | 5 | 3 | 62.50 | 4.50 | 3 | 2 | 60.00 | -1.11 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0.11 | 0.19 | 35.11 | -23.90 | 1 | 2 | 33.33 | -18.52 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 | -53.33 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 33.33 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 20.00 |
| Joel Farabee | L | 8.8333333333333 | 9 | 4 | 69.23 | 10.90 | 7 | 3 | 70.00 | 13.75 | 6 | 1 | 85.71 | 29.83 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0.36 | 0.23 | 60.40 | 4.79 | 3 | 2 | 60.00 | 12.00 | 2 | 2 | 50.00 | 0.00 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 33.33 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 50.00 |
| Michael Raffl | L | 10.5 | 13 | 6 | 68.42 | 11.01 | 10 | 6 | 62.50 | 5.36 | 9 | 4 | 69.23 | 12.09 | 0 | 3 | 0.00 | -66.67 | 0.58 | 0.3 | 65.77 | 13.11 | 5 | 3 | 62.50 | 17.05 | 3 | 3 | 50.00 | 0.00 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 85.71 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 87.50 |
| Tyler Pitlick | C | 10.466666666667 | 14 | 8 | 63.64 | 4.81 | 11 | 6 | 64.71 | 8.61 | 9 | 5 | 64.29 | 5.03 | 1 | 1 | 50.00 | 25.00 | 0.64 | 0.18 | 78.28 | 30.01 | 7 | 1 | 87.50 | 51.14 | 3 | 0 | 100.00 | 61.54 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 85.71 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 63.64 |
| Sean Couturier | C | 12.033333333333 | 15 | 9 | 62.50 | 3.32 | 11 | 7 | 61.11 | 3.61 | 7 | 5 | 58.33 | -3.74 | 1 | 0 | 100.00 | 80.00 | 0.49 | 0.46 | 51.45 | -7.60 | 7 | 6 | 53.85 | 6.79 | 2 | 3 | 40.00 | -14.55 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 57.14 | 6 | 10 | 4 | 60.00 |
| Ivan Provorov | D | 14.816666666667 | 17 | 11 | 60.71 | 0.71 | 12 | 10 | 54.55 | -6.57 | 9 | 5 | 64.29 | 5.03 | 0 | 2 | 0.00 | -50.00 | 0.78 | 0.51 | 60.50 | 7.04 | 11 | 6 | 64.71 | 33.94 | 5 | 3 | 62.50 | 25.00 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 62.50 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 70.00 |
| Travis Konecny | R | 11.766666666667 | 12 | 8 | 60.00 | -0.38 | 10 | 8 | 55.56 | -4.44 | 8 | 5 | 61.54 | 0.82 | 1 | 2 | 33.33 | 0.00 | 0.51 | 0.53 | 49.12 | -11.50 | 6 | 7 | 46.15 | -6.79 | 2 | 3 | 40.00 | -14.55 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 80.00 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 87.50 |
| Scott Laughton | C | 9.15 | 10 | 7 | 58.82 | -1.89 | 8 | 6 | 57.14 | -1.95 | 7 | 4 | 63.64 | 3.64 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 | -40.00 | 0.46 | 0.31 | 59.82 | 4.41 | 4 | 3 | 57.14 | 9.32 | 3 | 3 | 50.00 | 0.00 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 50.00 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 40.00 |
| Matt Niskanen | D | 13.816666666667 | 14 | 10 | 58.33 | -2.89 | 10 | 10 | 50.00 | -13.16 | 7 | 5 | 58.33 | -3.74 | 0 | 2 | 0.00 | -50.00 | 0.54 | 0.51 | 51.53 | -7.87 | 8 | 6 | 57.14 | 13.39 | 3 | 3 | 50.00 | 0.00 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 62.50 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 70.00 |
| Philippe Myers | D | 14.166666666667 | 14 | 11 | 56.00 | -6.50 | 12 | 8 | 60.00 | 2.11 | 10 | 7 | 58.82 | -3.68 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0.54 | 0.5 | 51.77 | -7.43 | 5 | 5 | 50.00 | 0.00 | 3 | 4 | 42.86 | -12.70 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 71.43 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 69.23 |
| Claude Giroux | C | 12.583333333333 | 11 | 11 | 50.00 | -14.71 | 8 | 6 | 57.14 | -1.95 | 5 | 4 | 55.56 | -6.94 | 1 | 0 | 100.00 | 80.00 | 0.33 | 0.28 | 54.22 | -2.96 | 6 | 4 | 60.00 | 15.00 | 2 | 2 | 50.00 | 0.00 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 66.67 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 50.00 |
| Jakub Voracek | R | 9.75 | 9 | 9 | 50.00 | -13.64 | 6 | 7 | 46.15 | -16.07 | 2 | 5 | 28.57 | -39.08 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 | -40.00 | 0.16 | 0.34 | 32.19 | -29.38 | 3 | 5 | 37.50 | -17.05 | 1 | 3 | 25.00 | -33.33 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 50.00 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 44.44 |
| James van Riemsdyk | L | 11.583333333333 | 8 | 8 | 50.00 | -13.16 | 7 | 6 | 53.85 | -6.15 | 5 | 3 | 62.50 | 1.89 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 | -40.00 | 0.43 | 0.29 | 59.79 | 4.26 | 5 | 4 | 55.56 | 7.94 | 3 | 1 | 75.00 | 33.33 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 71.43 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 75.00 |
| Kevin Hayes | C | 10.55 | 7 | 8 | 46.67 | -17.13 | 6 | 8 | 42.86 | -20.78 | 3 | 5 | 37.50 | -29.17 | 0 | 2 | 0.00 | -50.00 | 0.26 | 0.37 | 41.21 | -19.51 | 3 | 5 | 37.50 | -17.05 | 1 | 2 | 33.33 | -20.51 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 66.67 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 71.43 |
| Travis Sanheim | D | 14.083333333333 | 9 | 14 | 39.13 | -30.87 | 8 | 11 | 42.11 | -24.56 | 6 | 10 | 37.50 | -38.50 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 | -40.00 | 0.2 | 0.66 | 22.90 | -47.42 | 1 | 7 | 12.50 | -51.14 | 0 | 5 | 0.00 | -72.73 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 71.43 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 64.29 |
Look at Nicolas Aube-Kubel playing like he belongs again; that’s exciting stuff at least. The Flyers’ bottom six has been a nightmare, but NAK is starting to string together games to show the coaching staff he should be a fixture.
Some thoughts
Power-less play
After finding their groove a bit of late on the power play, the Flyers fell flat on their faces agains the Coyotes in going 0-for-4 on the man advantage. In those four opportunities the Flyers managed just four total shots and again fell victim to a lack of controlled offensive zone time. When you’re chasing the puck too much on your own power play, it usually limits you to a single chance to two, and that’s what happened last night with nothing to show for the Flyers a man up.
As the Flyers’ penalty kill has sagged, they could really use their power play to make up the difference but that just hasn’t happened consistently of late. Arizona won the special teams battle on the night, though the penalty kill did their part mostly in killing four of five chances while the power play couldn’t muster anything of value.
Hart struggles again
Carter Hart’s night didn’t get off to the best start and it didn’t last overly long, either. After allowing three goals on 12 shots, Alain Vigneault gave his netminder the hook in favor of Brian Elliott.
The move didn’t exactly spark the Flyers, and Elliott allowed two goals on nine shots himself, but again showed the struggles of Hart on the road here in his young career. Brad Richardson’s opening goal was one that Hart needs to have, and set the tone for a team that isn’t playing with a ton of confidence at the moment. When that bouncer hit the back of the net, it might as well signaled to the rest of the Flyers that it just wasn’t going to be their night.
Elliott can’t be counted on to play a full slate of games at this point of his career, and the Flyers can’t afford to have a full-on home/road split with their goaltenders because of that. Whatever ails Hart away from the Wells Fargo Center, the Flyers better figure it out and fast.
Own zone blues
The Flyers’ defense has had some major issues on this road trip, and not one guys has been the singular culprit: it’s been a team effort. From Ivan Provorov to Matt Niskanen to Philippe Myers and on down they’ve all enjoyed their fare share of issues in their own zone. Case in point was Shayne Gostisbehere on Saturday night getting stripped behind his own net by Nick Schmaltz and directly leading to a Clayton Keller goal to make it 5-1 Coyotes.
Ghost’s turnover was inexcusable anytime, but it came after the Flyers had righted the ship during the second period and finally gotten on the board with Tyler Pitlick’s goal three minutes into the third. The turnover was just 1:27 after Pitlick’s goal and stunted the momentum the Flyers had built up. Those plays just can’t happen, especially on good teams.
Clear the dang crease, people
Coinciding with the Flyers’ defensive struggles has been their inability to clear the net in front of either goaltender. While they’ve certainly got size on the blue line, it isn’t often used to pave the way in front of Carter Hart and Brian Elliott. Travis Sanheim and Myers are bigger bodies, but don’t necessarily use them to get as physical with bodies in front as you’d like to see. Sure there are pitfalls in terms of picking up minors for such plays, but the result is better sight-lines for goalies often fighting to see through multiple bodies of his own teammates and at least one or two from the opposing team.
Thankfully the Flyers’ coaching staff isn’t the one of old that would encourage multiple bodies sacrifice positioning in the name of getting in front of shots, but the current staff needs to get their defense —and forwards— to box out a bit more here as an abundance of distance shots are finding their way into the net.
Late second period goal a killer
Not only was Gostisbehere’s costly turnover a killer, but man was that Lawson Crouse goal hard to swallow with .3 seconds left in the second.
It capped a forty minute stretch where the Flyers controlled play everywhere but the scoreboard. Sure that’s the only place that matters, but it has to be disheartening to see a bad first goal on Hart on the board, a fluky second goal, and a soft third goal before letting Crouse walk through the ice and finish off a backhander with little to no pressure.
The Flyers haven’t allowed many of those back-breaking goals of late, but this sure a heck felt like one after playing some pretty solid hockey through two periods.