Excuse the lame “Jaws” reference, but the Flyers clearly needed more than what they came to San Jose with. After the first period, it was clear that this team was lethargic. They didn’t have that pep in their step. They looked like the Sharks should have looked after playing the Los Angeles Kings the night before.
There were some quality attempts for the Flyers, but for the most part, the Sharks dominated the game. The Flyers went one-for-three against the league’s best penalty killers, and also killed off their only penalty of the night. Special teams were great, it’s five-on-five where they got handled.
In a game where there weren’t many positives, let’s take a look at one, if you so choose to spin it that way.
Special Teams
The Flyers powerplay entered the night on a decent little roll. In the last five games before the San Jose game, they’ve converted on six of 19 man advantages, good for 31.58%. Last night was par for the course, going one-of-three (33.3%). The powerplay seems to be finding some of their footing, but they aren’t quite there yet.
The penalty kill had one opportunity to kill off a man-advantage, and they succeeded. The Flyers are 14 for 20 (70.0%) in their last five games, discounting last night. Last night was a good start to getting back on track with the penalty kill, and a great night for continuing down the right track on the powerplay.
Carter Hart
Hart was less than stellar last night, it’s no secret. Allowing six goals on 29 shots, Hart looked every bit the part that he did in mid to late October. Discounting last night, Hart stopped 138 of 147 shots for a .939 save percentage and a 1.82 goals against average. Adding in last night’s results, Hart has now stopped 161 of 176 shots for a .915 save percentage and a 2.53 goals against average. Drastic change after one game, but still solid numbers.
Hart has shown through the course of this season that he is prone to rebounding after less-than-stellar outings. While Elliott will likely get the nod against the Ducks, don’t be surprised to see Carter Hart seek revenge for his subpar night against the Sharks when the Flyers take on the Kings.
Just Like Old Times…
How many times last year did we watch this team fold like a lawn chair when giving up goal after goal?
This team didn’t exactly fold like in years past, but they didn’t exactly answer the bell either. One goal in the first, two in the second, and three in the third. The Flyers did nothing to prevent San Jose from stomping on their throats.
Just as recent as last year, the Flyers were notorious for allowing opponents to come in and dominate the play, never letting the Flyers find their footing. That happened against San Jose, but to a lesser extent. The Flyers battled until the end, which is more than we could say about last years losses, but it wasn’t the type of battle you’d expect. Nobody can come away from watching this game saying, “well, at least they put up one hell of a fight.” They also can’t exactly say, “that team flat out quit from the get-go.”
It’s better than last year, but still not something that we want to frequently see.
The Flyers don’t have much time to sulk after this one. They travel to Anaheim to take on the Ducks tonight. Puck drop is slated for 8:30 PM EST at the Honda Center.
Mandatory Credit – © Cody Glenn-USA TODAY Sports
