Islanders strand the Flyers, 2-1

John Tortorella is very invested in how his roster responds after a bad shift. On Long Island, the Philadelphia Flyers had their skating legs.

“For us to have a hard training camp, I believe it mentally builds you tough; that’s the biggest thing. You’re going to be tired during that camp, but at the same time, when you have games like this, you’re going to be tired in shifts. Mentally, being tough is one of the things that teaches you and helps you out throughout the season.”
Ryan Poehling; 9/27/2023

In a loss to the New Jersey Devils, the Flyers lagged. Against the New York Islanders, the Flyers dictated the pace in shots on goal, in large to their forechecking. Albeit a substantially different lineup from Monday, the players deployed played a sharper game.

The Islanders were victorious, 2-1.

Flyers at Islanders

Ian Laperriere named Felix Sandstrom the starting goaltender, swapping at the beginning of the second period with Sam Ersson. Ilya Sorokin played the first 30 minutes, switching in the middle of the second with Kenneth Appleby.

Sandstrom didn’t receive a ton of work. He saved 5/6 shots before swapping at the end of the period. Simon Holmstrom was the second change of trajectory on a puck incoming from the point by Travis Mitchell, deflected by Mathew Barzal, 1-0, with 7:22 left in the first.

“They were solid. I think both guys been solid all camp. Felix [Sandstrom] and Ers [Ersson] are really capable goaltenders. They keep improving every day. It’s going to be a tough competition, that’s for sure.”
Ian Laperriere; 9/27/2023

Tanner Laczynski had a terrific start. He was very active away and with the puck. The work he put into the forecheck helped extend possessions. He rang a shot off the post against Sorokin, nearly tying the game. Laczynski refused to sag after the Flyers trailed, carrying his energy from the first to the second period.

Ersson, like Sandstrom, looked solid in the net. He had double the load compared to Sandstrom, but Ersson faced a similar average of shots per period. In the second period, Ersson saved 9/10 shots on goal, 12/13 total. Scott Laughton served for holding, then Julien Gauthier scored on the powerplay after an unsuccessful clear by Brendan Furry, 2-0, with 6:00 remaining in the second.

“I felt a little bit rusty in some situations, shots you haven’t seen for a while, and all that, but overall [it was] just fun to be back out there and playing games.”
Samuel Ersson; 9/27/2023

Louie Belpedio played exceptionally smart in the defensive zone. He paired with Adam Ginning, giving the tandem a push on offense. Ironically, Ginning had five shots on goal, but these two defensemen played the most minutes for the Flyers at 21:16 (Belpedio) and 22:27 (Ginning).

Ronnie Attard and Victor Mete were two defensemen who attacked the offensive and neutral zones. Attard displayed what Laperriere talked about: his shot, skating, and vision. Mete had an active stick, taking passes away in the defensive transition. Ginning and Attard have management invested, but Mete unsurprisingly excelled in his first look with the Flyers.

Late in the third period, Ryan Poehling scored the first goal for the Flyers in the 2023 NHL Preseason. Ersson left the net to create a 6v5 situation. Laughton bounced a puck off the back wall, but after Noah Cates missed the rebound shot, Poehling followed through, 2-1, with 2:22 remaining in regulation.