With the four goals against in third period, the Flyers will now fall to 1-5 in the second game of back to backs this year with the loss. Let’s wrap on all the sights and sounds of the loss:
York A Healthy Scratch
After a disaster of a night in Detroit on Wednesday, Cam York landed in the press box Thursday against LA due to poor play. York sat the entire third period against the Red Wings after a egregious turnover that led to a goal against, which you can see above.
“I’m not going to get into all the details,” John Tortorella said pregame. “He’s struggled since he’s come back. I think he’s stuck in neutral a little bit.”
York missed 13 games due to an upper body ailment and hasn’t necessarily played well since his return, at least to the coach. Emil Andrae stepped in for York, but didn’t particularly play well either in his return to the lineup. The club’s defensive pairs certainly were mismatched. For example, Travis Sanheim and Jamie Drysdale were paired with one another and struggled mightily in this game.
Perhaps, this game will be viewed as more of a reset for him, given the results in his absence. The 23 year-old York has three goals and two assists in 19 games this season.
Three-for-Foer
Despite the teamwide struggles, Tyson Foerster picked up two goals and an assist in the loss. On both goals, Foerster was able to identify soft spots in the Kings otherwise good coverage. As a result, both tally’s were tap-ins, but going to the net with gumption typically is rewarding for a player. Especially a player with the natural scoring tendencies that Foerster possesses.
“That’s what I’m trying to do, trying to get to the net” Foerster said. “Our line is playing decent and we’re supporting each other well. We know the puck is going to the net, so that’s where I got to go.”
Foerster owns eight points (4g-4a) in his last 10 games and 10 points (6g-4a) in the last 15 games. His line with Bobby Brink and Noah Cates has been effective for a good portion of the season.
Thursday’s breakout is Foerster’s first multi-point game of the season.
Confidence Killer
Just when it appeared that Philadelphia had taken control of the game, Kings’ longtime captain Anze Kopitar scored. The tally came in the final minute of the second period, when Alexei Kolosov was unable to cover a loose puck. It was a heads up play by Kopitar, who followed the puck in on goal after the shot and corralled his own rebound. He would later score again in the third period off a terrific pass from Alex Turcotte.
As a result, this play subsequently changed the game, as it gave the Kings life heading into the third period.
“Those last minute goals, it hurts you,” Tortorella said postgame. “I can’t blame it just on that, but it’s a big play for us to maybe come into the third period with a lead.”
Thereafter, the Kings poured it on in the final frame. Kevin Fiala scored in the third, posting his second off two on the night, as did Warren Foegele and Quinton Byfield. Credit where credit is due, the Kings play a very sound, two-way game. Their a physical and heavy group that defends in layers of coverage. They really made the Flyers work for their scoring chances, while capitalizing on their own.
They Said It
John Tortorella on how the Kings play: “It’s a good hockey club. It’s a team that checks very well. I thought we handled ourselves very well for 40 minutes. Just couldn’t find our way through 60.”
Morgan Frost on the Flyers’ mistakes: “When we make a mistake, we’re also really good at responding. But at the same time, it’s just too many. We got to start playing with the lead too.”
Noah Cates on protecting Leads: “When we get leads, we’re kind of being a little lackadaisical and it’s ending up in the back of our net right now. We just got to tighten down.”
Tyson Foerster on the Kings four-goal third period: “They just capitalized on a bunch of their chances. We were trying to push and we got caught a couple times.”
Did You Know?
Per NHL Stats, the Flyers now have 139 points from players age 25 or younger this year. That’s 3rd most in the league — only Montreal (146) and Buffalo (145) have more.
On Deck
The Flyers will return to action on Saturday, when they play host to the Columbus Blue Jackets at Wells Fargo Center. Puckdrop is set for 7:00 pm and the game will be broadcast locally on NBCSP.
