The Philadelphia Flyers scratched and clawed their way to one single point on Tuesday night against the New York Rangers, but it could have been more.
After heading into second intermission with a 2-1 lead, the Flyers decided to open the floodgates and just about everyone on both rosters managed to score in that final frame. Two goals from the Rangers to earn a lead and then back-and-forth tallies resulted in a 5-5 draw and a forced overtime period.
Neither team was playing all that well — the Flyers were letting the top Rangers forwards shoot from midrange and Sam Ersson let in some duds, and the Rangers were just not defending their net well enough and the Flyers got a couple of dirty, gritty goals to tie the game on multiple occasions.
Towards the end of the third period, though, Flyers first-line center Ryan Poehling (weird, we know), came off the ice holding something and looked a little worse for wear. So, you wouldn’t expect him to be at the faceoff dot during overtime, right? Well, unfortunately for us, Poehling was the first center out there and then the Flyers swiftly got their teeth kicked in by Adam Fox and the Rangers to end the game without even reaching a shift change.
Poehling is visibly hurting and unable to properly cover Fox as he just skates right around his coverage and lasers through the game-winning goal.
So, why was the 25-year-old forward out there after he looked banged up to begin with? Flyers assistant coach Brad Shaw explained the reasoning why the team started with him in overtime by describing what he has done for the team thus far.
“(Poehling) has been one of our best two-way players for the last, probably, two, three months,” Shaw said.. “He’s got a chance to win the faceoff. Plus, he’s responsible at both ends of the rink — he’s played well both offensively and defensively. So, he’s earned the right to get out there, obviously it didn’t end the way we wanted.
“I think he’s the right guy to put out there. They’ve got two of their best offensive guys and one of the best offensive defenseman in the league in Adam Fox out there as well. So, we’ve got guys that we feel will play both ends of the rink really well, and it didn’t work out.”
In a vacuum, it sort of makes sense. Poehling is fairly responsible defensively and at full health, has the speed to cover the dynamic trio that the Rangers put out there. And considering he even scored earlier in the game, the top-line center could end up earning the Flyers the full two points. That is all well and good, but it also feels a whole lot like playing overtime like you’re trying not to lose.
Mild criticism aside, we should hear if Poehling is actually injured, or why he was out there on the ice from head coach John Tortorella at Wednesday’s practice.
