In the final road preseason game of the year, the Flyers traveled up to Boston with what was essentially their NHL team, minus a few key regulars like Joel Farabee. This is likely the final tune up for many of the Flyers, as the Thursday matchup with the Devils will essentially feature the Devils’ entire minor league team, as the Devils head overseas for their opening matchups in the NHL Global Series. As for tonight, the game was a slog as usual in the preseason, and a reminder that real hockey is a little more than a week away.
The Basics
First period: 9:57 – Justin Brazeau (Zadorov, Frederic)
Second period: 9:44 – Travis Konecny (Michkov, Frost)
Third period: 7:50 – Tyler Johnson (Zacha, Pastrnak), 18:35 – Charlie Coyle EN (Pastrnak), 18:55 – Mark Kastelic EN (Unassisted)
SOG: 34 (BOS) – 14 (PHI)
Some Takeaways
Another slow start
The Flyers got off to a not so good start in this one – the Bruins were all over the Flyers from the jump. Outshooting the Flyers 17-4 in the first twenty minutes of play, and scoring the first goal about halfway through the period, the Bruins A-squad was all over a largely Flyers A-squad. That’s been a trend throughout the entire preseason, and honestly a trend for as long as I’ve been a fan of this team. Let’s hope that the Flyers buck this trend as the season gets underway next week.
Ersson Strong
Probably the biggest bright spot of the game for the Flyers, Sam Ersson was extremely good for the second consecutive preseason game. Stopping 30 of 32, he looked every bit of the No. 1 goaltender that the Flyers are going to need if they are going to make a playoff push. John Tortorella said it himself today, the goaltending situation is unquestionably terrifying and uncertain. However, if any of the three are going to step up, it feels most likely that it’ll be Sam Ersson – and the preseason results thus far lend credence to that idea.
Foerster and Seeler injury scares
On two separate plays, Tyson Foerster and Nick Seeler sustained stingers – and missed ensuing shifts after the fact. In Foerster’s case, he missed only a few shifts before returning to his duties on the top line. Meanwhile, on the Seeler end, it was a relatively weak blocked shot that gave Seeler fits. He immediately left the game, and tried to come back for the opening shifts of the third period before having Hunter McDonald take his place on a pair with Jamie Drysdale. Hopefully, for the Flyers sake, that Seeler’s removal was merely precautionary and the defenseman just needed some rest to heal up. If not, the Flyers defensive depth will be tested in the early goings of the season – specifically in finding a suitable partner for Jamie Drysdale. Stay tuned on this one.
Luchanko struggles
Jett Luchanko came into Tuesday’s matchup with Boston with a final chance to make his case for a nine-game tryout. Unfortunately for everyone pounding on the table for a Luchanko tryout, this was the first game where the 18-year-old looked a bit out of place. There was the rough hooking penalty in the third that led to the go-ahead goal, and Luchanko just looked a little lost at points tonight. Obviously, this was an overwhelmingly positive NHL camp for the young forward, but it’s looking very likely that Luchanko is bound for Guelph in the coming days.
Richard shines again
Aside from Luchanko, Anthony Richard is making a strong case to be the 14th forward on this roster. Legitimately, his speed is a weapon, and he continues to force turnovers and make things happen in the offensive zone over and over again. He was extremely noticeable in the third, forcing a turnover that nearly led to a Sean Couturier game-tying goal in the slot. It’s likely that Richard will simply be AHL depth and one of the first call-ups (depending on the status of Samu Tuomaala), but Richard’s making a real case here. It’ll be really interesting to see whether Richard and/or Olle Lycksell, the other forward on the bubble, will slot into Thursday’s preseason finale.
Michkov finds a way
And finally, I couldn’t end a recap without mentioning Matvei Michkov at least one time. It’s remarkable, in a game where the Flyers totaled 14 shots and Michkov himself was largely quiet, that Michkov still managed to find a way onto the scoresheet. This time, it was a smart play where Michkov threw a puck off the pad of the Boston goaltender, forcing a rebound right to the stick of Travis Konecny. Again, Michkov has very high situational awareness and sense of where his teammates are on the ice. Even when he and the team are clearly off their game, it’s play like these that will help Michkov continue to tally points.
