The Flyers lost the first of the NHL’s outdoor games this weekend, falling to the New Jersey Devils 6-3 at MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands. In classic Flyers fashion, they fell behind early and played well throughout most of the game but didn’t capitalize on some chances. In fact, the Flyers outshot the Devils 48 to 40, and put 27 pucks on New Jersey goaltender Nico Daws in the middle frame, the most by any one team in a single period in outdoor game history. They also reached their season high in unblocked shot attempts (64), shots on goal (48), and Rocky impersonations (20).
The game was exciting in spurts, but thanks to the two quick goals that the Devils scored in succession to go up 4-1, much of the game was played feeling like the outcome was inevitable.
The Basics
First period: 00:32 — Hischier (Palat), 13:30 — Toffoli (Smith, J. Hughes),
Second period: 7:43 — Owen Tippett (Konecny, Zamula), 16:36 — Smith (Palat, Hischier), 17:48 — Bastian (Meier, Lazar), 18:23 — Tippett (PP, Konecny, Frost),
Third period: 2:48 — Hischier (Bratt), 9:07 — Seeler (Laughton, Poehling), 18:15 — Bastian (Haula)
SOG: 46 (PHI), 39 (NJD)
Takeaways
Penalties
The game was pretty chippy from the start, with an extracurricular scrum coming on the player following Hischier’s opening goal and then a Morgan Frost high-sticking penalty barely two minutes in. From there it felt like there was hardly any five-on-five time. Of the first 40 minutes, 26:30 of them were five aside thanks to 10 minors called, though Owen Tippett’s second goal towards the end of the second period was the only time a special teams goal was scored. Things really calmed down in the third period and there was finally some long stretches of whistle-less play, but by then they game felt mostly out of reach.
Owen Tippett
Speaking of, the Flyers’ goal-scorer showed up tonight, potting his 20th and 21st. Both goals came on powerful snipes from a distance. Tippett had nine shots on goal, including eight at even strength. He was also wearing some weird combination of eye-black and eye-orange (??) that really brought out the ginger in his locks but also made it look like he was having an allergic reaction. Unless he was actually just wearing eye-black and also having an allergic reaction. Tough to say.
The outdoor game
It’s not that this game has no significance outside of the spectacle. The Flyers are a possible playoff team with like a quarter of the season left and this was a game against a division rival. It certainly has some importance on the Flyers season as a whole. But it’s tough to say that a sloppy loss with a lack of finishing and some poor goaltending from Sam Ersson in an outdoor game is indicative of anything. The conditions here are completely different and it’s impossible to pinpoint the ways in which they effected the Flyers’ play tonight. The Flyers have been playing well of late and this doesn’t change that. Would’ve been nice to win, though, huh?
All stats via Natural Stat Trick and ESPN.com.
