Sometimes you just need a reminder that some hockey teams in the NHL are really, really good. The Philadelphia Flyers were able to witness a good team play hockey this afternoon and it was the Boston Bruins.
There is nothing really else to say except the fact that they lost 6-0 and they really only had little flashes of offensive pressure compared to the quality of the scoring chances that the Bruins had. Despite the shots on goal being even with 29 each, the 5-on-5 shot attempts being slightly in Boston’s favor at 42-41, and even the 5-on-5 high-danger chances being relatively close as the Bruins had 12 compared to the Flyers’ seven, the visitors never felt like they had a chance.
Let’s relive some misery.
The Flyers were able to hold off the inevitable in the opening minutes of the game. They were able to somehow have more shots on goal than the devious Bruins but it didn’t take long for the scoring to be opened.
🇨🇿🇨🇿🇨🇿 pic.twitter.com/Zm0reIOzhP
— Spoked Z (@SpokedZ) January 16, 2023
David Pastrnak teams up with his fellow Czech countrymen in a painfully beautiful play that weaves through the entire Flyers defense, mainly because Tony DeAngelo couldn’t get the puck out of the zone. Maybe he just wanted David Krejci to get an assist in his 1,000th NHL game, but it was a clear mistake that led to this first goal.
After the goal, the Flyers kept pushing and did have some scoring chances technically but the quality is nowhere near what they would need — they had one high-danger chance in the first 20 minutes compared to the Bruins’ seven — to be close to an even match against the Bruins in Boston.
Before the period ended, Pavel Zacha unleash an absolute laser to double Boston’s lead and put this game already out of reach for Philadelphia.
Quite the shot from Zacha to make it 2-0. If signing a contract extension boosts you to score like this, what’s Pasta going to do when he gets his money? pic.twitter.com/dQSJcsr4Tr
— Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) January 16, 2023
Zacha was able to just skate right into the Flyers’ zone and away from the puck enough that no one really noticed until he already let the puck rip off his stick. A whole lot of players in white had their back turned.
If you thought the first period put the Bruins ahead and finished this game, well let me tell you about the first five minutes of the second. It took about 15 minutes for Boston to score two goals the previous period, but in under five minutes they scored another pair of goals.
Do you really want to see them? Do you? Are you some sick freak that revels the thought of the dominant Bruins scoring another goal in the first half of this game? Wanting to lose for a draft lottery is fine and all, but actively watching the goals go in against your team? That’s some freak shit.
Well, Brad Marchand scored the third goal and then the all-Czech line got on the board again with Zacha’s second goal and Krejci’s third assist. Cool!
After the Bruins kept on getting easily to the net with almost no resistance, increasing the quantity and quality of scoring chances, Flyers head coach John Tortorella felt like that was enough punishment for Carter Hart and threw Samuel Ersson to the Bostonian wolves. Poor young netminders just getting absolutely killed because of the players in front of them.
Somehow the Bruins were not able to score against Ersson in the remaining minutes of the second period, keeping the score to just a simple 4-0 that really makes you just tune out and accept the loss. I mean, the Bruins had six more shots on goal and virtually 60 percent of all those underlying numbers we all love to think about.
It seems like the Bruins heard us sighing and wanting to get on with our days during the second intermission because they really put this game out of reach after Pastrnak scored his 35th goal of the season on the power play that carried over from the end of the second. Thank you Bruins for letting me just passively watch the rest of the game.
Maybe it was being up by five goals or just not really caring that much, but the Bruins started to really sit back a little bit. It was not more evident than during a power play opportunity they had that ended with the Flyers seemingly having more time in the offensive zone than the Bruins during that two-minute stretch. Brad Shaw worked his penalty kill magic once again and Jeremy Swayman was forced to make a couple big stops against Konecny, Laughton, and Cates.
Oh, well too bad for us that wanted some little bit of fun to close out this game. The Bruins scored again. Not even telling you who scored. Just look it up.
The Flyers were really able to hit this score line home when they had a 5-on-3 power play and were not even able to successfully enter the offensive zone. Just nothing in this one and what should you expect when you’re facing these Boston Bruins?
Thankfully the game ended and the Flyers lost 6-0. It is nice to see some pretty goals, at least. Philadelphia is now 18-19-7 on the season.
Honestly, thank you Flyers for losing so badly against a good team in the afternoon so we can still enjoy our evening and go to sleep in peace.
Some Thoughts
The talent level is so evident
We have been tooting this horn more and more as the season has progressed but the Flyers are not bad enough to compete with the likes of the Anaheim Ducks and Chicago Blackhawks for the draft lottery, but are also nowhere near the skill level of a team competing for a Wild Card spot.
This game has made it abundantly clear where the Flyers live in the NHL ecosystem. It might be a little harsh comparing this team to literally the league’s best so far this season, but being able to not get shutout and lose by six goals is where those decently good teams are and the Flyers still need a whole lot to get even there.
