Minka Zibanejad collected three points (2g, 1a), while Vincent Trocheck dished three assists in the Rangers sound defeat of the Flyers on Monday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Let’s wrap:
Time and Space
First and foremost, the Flyers struggled mightily in this game with coverages in the slot and middle of the ice, along with puck support. It was in large part why New York jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period. At the 1:04 mark of the opening period, Noah Laba collected a point shot from Matthew Robertson after Dan Vladar knocked it down with his glove. Laba had good body positioning on Jamie Drysdale netfront and was able to drive the puck into the Philadelphia net.
“We’re just not protecting the middle of the ice,” Rick Tochett said postgame. “We’ve done a good job since the break but tonight, you know, there’s just guys …. you have to stop in the slot and you got to protect the middle. Then, we got to box out better. How many goals did they get, six? Four or five were either in the slot or in front of our net. So, that’s the game.”
Later in the first, the Flyers would surrender two goals from prime real estate on the ice. At the 13:07 mark, Drysdale would initially win a one-on-one battle for a puck behind his own net with Gabe Perrault, but New York supported the puck well as Alexis Lafreniere swooped in to take the puck away from the Flyers defensemen and setup Minka Zibanejad in the slot for the game’s second goal. Later in the first, it would be Lafreniere who would find a soft spot in the Flyers coverage on the powerplay to build the Rangers 3-0 lead. The blueshirts wouldn’t look back after that.
In Defense of Dan
Both Sean Couturier and Nick Seeler defended goaltender Dan Vladar after the game, who absorbed all six goals against in the loss before Sam Ersson came into the game in relief. Vladar, of course, has helped stabilize the Flyers goaltending this season and at times, outright stolen games for the club. However, the Flyers couldn’t do the same for him when he was having a less than stellar night.
“He has battled hard all year for us, won us big games,” Couturier said. “We pissed away a game here tonight in front of him. Didn’t help him at all. We were just awful.”
Nevertheless, one has to wonder if there’s some fatigue setting in now with the 28 year-old Czech netminder. This is the first time in Vladar’s career he has been called on to play as a starting goalie and while he’s proved capable in that role, he may simply need some rest right now.
They Said It
Tocchet on his club squandering a big game: “You’re going to get games like this where you get kicked in the teeth and this is where your character and passion and all that stuff is going to be tested.”
Sean Couturier on the Flyers lacking mental focus: “At this time of the year, everyone is battling the same kind of schedule and it’s on each individual to be ready physically and mentally. Like Seels said, I think mentally we weren’t sharp, we gave up a lot of quality chances and they capitalized on us.”
Nick Seeler on the club’s performance: “Vladdy deserved better, Ers deserved better, our fans deserved better than that.”
Did You Know?
According to NHL stats, Jamie Drysdale picked up an assist on Matvei Michkov’s second period goal and therefore joins Travis Sanheim as Philadelphia’s second defenseman with 20 assists this season.
On Deck
The Flyers will return to action on Wednesday, when they play host to the Washington Capitals at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Puckdrop is set for 7:30 p.m. and will be broadcast nationally on TNT.
