Flyers are 8-2-1 in their last 11 games, still can’t gain ground in the Wild Card race
The Flyers beat the Kings 4-3 in a shootout Thursday night in Los Angeles and it was a genuinely impressive performance. Playing with only 11 forwards after losing Sean Couturier, Denver Barkey, and Luke Glendening to injuries, on the second night of a back-to-back road trip, they found a way.
Travis Konecny, Noah Cates, and Travis Sanheim scored in regulation. Samuel Ersson stopped 22 of 25 shots and saved the game in the shootout turning away Kempe and Panarin.
Trevor Zegras and Matvei Michkov converted in the skills competition to close it out. Zegras specifically is now 20-for-33 lifetime in shootouts which is genuinely absurd.
Trevor Zegras and Matvei Michkov score in the shootout to win it for the Flyers
Good win. Genuinely. The Flyers are 8-2-1 in their last 11 games and they have already matched their win total from all of last season with 14 games remaining. The improvement is real.
The Blue Jackets, Bruins, and Red Wings all won Thursday night.
That is the problem. The Flyers are running out of season and the teams ahead of them refuse to cooperate. Six points back of both wild card spots with 14 games left. Every game the Flyers win while the teams above them also win is just a treadmill. They need results to go their way and they are not going their way.
There is a version of this story where the Flyers are a comfortable playoff team. That version plays out in the Western Conference where they currently have the same number of points as the Anaheim Ducks, who are sitting in first place in the Pacific Division. In the Eastern Conference they are treading water.
Artemi Panarin tied it at three on a power play in the third period and nearly cost them the point entirely. Ersson bailed them out. The Flyers then survived their fourth straight overtime game, their 25th of the season, and collected two points that feel both hard-earned and completely inadequate given the circumstances.
They finish the California road trip Saturday against the Sharks. They need to win that game and they need the teams above them to start losing. Neither is guaranteed. Both are required.
Shoutout Phans of Philly – Flyers Trip Looks Incredible
The Liberty Line has traveled with Phans of Philly to multiple events on the road and every damn time, they are somehow better than the last.
No matter the sports team, Phans of Philly has everything covered – from flights, hotels and transportation to some of the best tailgates and happy hours with thousands of other Philly fans.
Check out all the upcoming trips with Phans of Philly here >>
Join The Chase
Read More
“Like a Vengeance Tour”: Rick Tocchet on Matvei Michkov being back on the ice after getting swept by the Hurricanes
The Flyers’ season has been over for four days. Matvei…
Flyers swept out of the playoffs, lose 3-2 in overtime to the Hurricanes in Game 4
The Flyers lost 3-2 in overtime to the Hurricanes on…
The Flyers fall into 3-0 hole to Carolina and the Power Play might have ended their season
The Flyers lost 4-1 to the Hurricanes on Thursday night…
Comments (0)