After a shutout win against the Bruins on Tuesday and another victory over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday, the Flyers were looking to amass a three-game winning streak Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately, the two teams shut each other out in the same week. Sam Ersson was set to start on the net, with the Flyers’ lineup remaining the same; for the Bruins, Joonas Korpisalo got the go-ahead.
Flyers vs Bruins recap
In the first frame, bad news struck Philly as Sam Ersson exited the game. A shot on goal hit Ersson’s blade, which he had replaced. However, he was seen talking with his trainer a few minutes later and left.
Alexei Kolosov entered the contest in his place. Danny Briere, Flyers general manager, stated that Ersson would not be returning – Briere hopes there will be more information following the contest. *update* Sam Ersson has a lower-body injury.
If anything happens to Kolosov, Ivan Fedotov suited up as the team’s EBUG. With Philadelphia struggling to generate offensive zone play, it was no surprise that Boston’s Matthew Poitras was able to find the net to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead.
Towards the end of the first 20 minutes, Garnet Hathaway was in a tricky situation with H. Lindholm, who wrapped his arms around Hathaway’s face/neck. While there was no call, which would have been holding, Noah Cates got sent to the penalty box for hooking.
With Boston’s continuous pressure, it was one of the Flyers’ best penalty kills entering the second frame. However, Philadelphia was still unable to capitalize despite all the scoring chances. Boston’s Justin Brazeau was able to find the back of the net and make it a 2-0 lead. While the defense wasn’t playing great hockey, Rasmus Ristolainen made a good number of checks on Pastrnak, which showcased what he does best.
Entering the final frame, Philadelphia couldn’t generate any offense. However, Bobby Brink and Morgan Frost were firing away at the net. There was an ordeal of chippiness coming from Hathaway, as expected. Kolosov, too, looked sharp in places. However, with a more aggressive approach, he was called to the bench so the Flyers could have an extra attacker on the ice.
Philadelphia playing 6-5 hockey didn’t last long as Brad Marchand gave the Bruins their third and final goal. With under a minute remaining, madness broke out on the ice. Travis Sanheim had a nasty crosscheck that made the two teams brawl. Most notably, Travis Konecny and Trent Frederic were going at it.
Due to the number of players involved, most of the penalties extended the time remaining in the contest. Although Philadelphia fell short and can’t find a win with their backup goalie yet again, this wasn’t a surprise. The Flyers played sloppy against the Blues on Thursday, and with the amount of turnovers generated, a team like Boston would be one to capitalize off of the errors.
The Flyers have an off day tomorrow and practice on Monday. The Flyers will play the Hurricanes, Lightning, and Panthers on the road before returning home next Monday to host the Sharks.
Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
