The Philadelphia Flyers returned home as they kicked off their 7-game homestand. The Flyers were setting off to take on the Calgary Flames and embrace the return of Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee. About a month ago, Frost and Farabee were traded to the Flames, and in exchange, they received Jakob Pelletier and Andrei Kuzmenko.
The Flyers came into this game hot having taken down the best team in the NHL, the Winnipeg Jets, in a shootout over the weekend. As the trade deadline creeps closer, the Flyers haven’t made any moves, which means the lineup was the same as the previous game. The only difference was Sam Ersson getting the start in net over Ivan Fedotov.
Flyers vs Flames recap
Unfortunately for the Flyers, the Flames were controlled entirely for the first 10 minutes. Connor Zary scored twice, and Nazem Kadri could score as well. This gave the Flames a speedy 3-0 lead, which led to Sam Ersson getting pulled.
Ivan Fedotov entered the contest at the midway point of the first frame. Philadelphia responded immediately as Noah Cates got his 14th goal of the season. Since the break, Cates has been one of the more dominant players in Philadelphia.
After Cates’ goal, the Flyers paid tribute to Frost and Farabee with a video package that showcased them getting drafted, highlights, and more. Both Frost and Farabee thanked the Philadelphia crowd by waving.
Nearing the end of the first frame, former Flames forward Kuzmenko was able to score against his former team. However, Calgary responded less than 20 seconds later as Yegor Sharangovich was able to give the Flames a two-goal lead again. Former Flyer Frost picked up the secondary assist. After the first 20 minutes and six goals later, the Flames led Philadelphia 4-2.
The second frame was rough for Philadelphia. Many turnovers stemmed from ugly soft passes. There was some pushing and shoving between Pelletier and Lomberg, but that didn’t lead to anything. Nick Seeler found himself in the penalty box for a two-minute roughing minor. This led to MacKenzie Weegar getting a power play goal and Morgan Frost gaining his second point with the primary assists. The Flames were up 5-2 heading into the final frame.
During the midway point of the final frame, the Flyers were down by three goals, but Flyers captain Sean Couturier was able to cut the deficit to two goals. Matvei Michkov was at first credited with the goal, as it did appear that the puck crossed the redline, but Couturier was able to knock the puck in. Michkov is still at 19 goals as he looks to get his 20th of the season. With a minute left in regulation, Matt Coronato scored an empty net goal for the Flames to solidify the Calgary win.
Following the contest, Frost spoke about the loud crowd reaction from Philadelphia: “I know there’s a fair share that aren’t the biggest fans of me. We (him and Farabee) appreciate that (applause) a lot. I have nothing but good things to say about my time here. I loved it.” In the Philadelphia locker room, the mood was somber. Travis Konecny only scored two goals in his last 20 games. He stated his frustration, “You can probably assume how I feel. Very frustrated.”
The Flyers return to action Thursday night when they host the Winnipeg Jets. Puck drop is at 7 p.m.
Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
