After splitting a home-and-home series with the Buffalo Sabres, winning the latter to end a three-game skid, the Philadelphia Flyers lept from the opening faceoff with the vigor of tourists after hiking the museum stairs for another insipid Rocky pose. The LA Kings had seven of the first eight shots on goal, then, despite a Flyers flurry in the middle of the period, buried a pair of goals 18 seconds apart later in the first period.
The Flyers (5-6-1) again have more losses than wins after losing to the LA King 5-0 at the Wells Fargo Center.
Win some, lose some, but the LA Kings‘ size, defensive prowess, and puck possession were on full display. The Flyers attempted seven shots in the first 10 minutes, but only one got through.
On the Flyers’ plus, they kept pace physically, finishing checks and playing a feisty game.
Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar deflected shots past Flyers goalie Cal Petersen, a former big-ticket signing by the Kings.
Tyson Forrester could only shake his head in the final seconds of the first period after he deflected a shot through the front door of Kings goalie Cam Talbot’s five-hole, but Talbot quickly closed the skates behind him.
Forrester remains goalless. The gallows humor was evident when he shook his head with a smile on the bench as the period concluded.
Despite the deepening advanced stat imbalance in favor of the shiny silver-domed Kings, the Flyers pushed hard in the second period. Morgan Frost and Travis Sanheim had good chances but did not score. Owen Tippett rang the post.
Arthur Kaliyev beat Petersen with a wrister later in the second period, and Trevor Moore scored from Lancaster County on a wrister with 16 seconds remaining.
The Flyers neophytes on the blue line had a rough go in the second period, too. Gaps were a problem, as were errant up passes that found Kings sticks instead of orange and black.
Blake Lizotte scored earlier in the third period, again on a stoppable wrister. Petersen stopped only 20 of the first 25 shots sent his way and 25 of 30 overall.
Talbot stopped all 25 shots.
Conflicting reports place tarter Carter Hart as out for multiple weeks or day-to-day. Hart left the game Wednesday as multiple players crashed the net. The Flyers lost 5-2 against Buffalo.
Flyers center Cam Atkinson led all players with five shots on goal.
The Flyers power play was 0-for-4 with five shots but had trouble penetrating the interior of the Kings’ PK. LA was 1-for4 with the man advantage. The Flyers host the Sharks on Tuesday. Prior to the Sharks puck drop Saturday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Sharks are 0-9-1.
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