If you were looking for the Flyers to show a pulse, you got that tonight. Less than five minutes in, Cam York scored on the counter rush. Flyers fans could finally breathe a sigh of relief. It was clear immediately: they brought their A-game. Two things stuck out to me as I watched the game unfold.
They Forced the Rangers to Play Shorthanded
The Flyers generated four power-play chances because they were crashing the net, generated solid puck movement, and kept the Rangers on their toes. Twenty seconds after Scott Laughton went to the box for holding the stick against Will Cuylle, Artemi Panarin was called for interference against Cam York. The Flyers generated solid momentum on the 4-on-4, and that resulted in multiple shots on goal in a span of about a minute. About five minutes later, Jacob Trouba went to the box for tripping Tyson Foerster. This was a significant penalty, as it demonstrated the Flyers had the Rangers scrambling.
Goodrow and Trouba lead the Rangers in penalty minutes this season, therefore it was a positive sign the Flyers were able to bait them into sitting in the box.
The only aspect missing in this game for the Flyers was the power play, which went 0-4. However, that wasn’t a surprise, and the Flyers were able to kill 3 out of 4 of the Rangers’ power plays and put four goals on the board in the end.
Sam Ersson was a valuable and crucial part of the penalty kill. Joel Farabee went to the box for too many men. Mika Zibanejad had a golden opportunity, and Ersson made the stop.
The only blunder was when Erik Johnson was sent to the box for charging. You can’t let the Rangers’ power play go to work on a two-man advantage and expect them not to score. Panarin scored his 47th of the season. They did kill off the subsequent penalty, though, which was positive momentum for sure.
They Didn’t Back Down From Physicality
Similar to the penalty minutes sentiment, the Flyers did not back down from engaging in post-whistle scrums with the Rangers. Garnet Hathaway even went at it with Jonathan Quick. This is a crucial piece in the Flyers’ game, and it was refreshing to see their spunky mojo back.
They also registered 17 hits and blocked 19 shots. Hathaway registered five blocked shots, two of which happened in a span of 10 seconds on both Panarin and Ryan Lindgren. He also laid a hit on Adam Fox right before that sequence. Hathaway was just one of the many Flyers that put their bodies on the line to prove that they still believe in themselves and the season.
All in all, this game proved that this team has not given up on the season. They continue to embrace the adversity that is thrown at them, including the narrative that the locker room gave up on Head Coach John Tortorella. The question that rings in everyone’s head now: is it too late?
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