On a special night for Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay beat the Flyers handily on Thursday night. Let’s wrap on yet another loss for the orang and black.
First Period
Plus: At the 12:48 mark of the opening period, Carter Hart made a truly fantastic save on Lightning forward Alex Killorn. Defenseman Victor Hedman would step into a slap shot that Hart would stop. The rebound would then be collected by Killorn, but a sliding Carter Hart would make a glove save on a shot that appeared to be labeled for the back of the net.
Minus: The Lethal Lightning powerplay would go to work on the Flyers after a Travis Sanheim tripping penalty at 5:08. A minute into the man advantage, Corey Perry would draw two Philly defenders to him behind the net before finding an unmarked Nick Paul for the goal to make the contest 1-0.
Minus: The Flyers did manage did play a solid first period despite going to down 1-0 on the powerplay. Philadelphia also had some good chances of their own but failed to finish off any of them which is certainly a testament to that lack of skill the team struggles with.
Second Period
Minus: On a tip play in front of the net, Nick Paul would score his second goal of the night with assists from Ian Cole and Steven Stamkos. The assist was Stamkos’ 1000th NHL point and the Tampa Bay captain became just the 95th player in NHL history to do so. The tally also put Philadelphia in a 2-0 hole as a result.
Minus: Spending a majority of the period in their own end, rookie defensemen Egor Zamula made an egregious error that led to a Ross Colton goal late in the middle frame. It was a rookie mistake to be blunt and one that the young defensemen should learn from, especially with such little time on the clock. The goal was Colton’s fifth of the season.
Third Period
Minus: Carter Hart was excellent for most of this game, but the contest will likely be remembered for this fluke bounce that put the game away. It unfortunately has happened to Hart twice this season. Here’s a better look at the play.
Quick Hits
- Travis Konecny returned from his injury in this one and scored the Flyers lone goal. He’s been missed. He was flying out there and continues to be the Flyers most effective offensive player.
- Before Thursday’s game, the Flyers placed forward Kieffer Bellows on waivers. As of this writing, he was not yet claimed.
What’s Next
The Flyers return to action on Saturday night, when they play host to the division leading New Jersey Devils for a 7:00 p.m. puck drop.
