The Philadelphia Flyers hosted the Florida Panthers on Sunday, capping off a back-to-back weekend with a frustrating 4-1 loss.
The Philadelphia Flyers hosted the Florida Panthers on Sunday, capping off a back-to-back weekend with a frustrating 4-1 loss.
Although they recorded double the shots on goal of the Panthers, they couldn't exploit their opportunities the way their opponents could, largely due to the outstanding goaltending of Panthers netminder Anthony Stolarz. Even so, this loss brings the playoff race to suffocating proportions, putting even more pressure on the Flyers' remaining 10 games of the season.
Goaltending That Leaves You Speechless
Simply put, Felix Sandstrom's goaltending wasn't nearly good enough. Letting in three goals on 14 shots (the Panthers' fourth goal was an empty-net goal) left both Sandstrom and head coach John Tortorella less-than-pleased with the performance.
The big talking point ended up being Tortorella's wordless response to a question about Sandstrom's performance. Instead of saying anything, the head coach simply threw his hands up a couple of times before walking out of the press conference after seeing that no other questions were being asked, making it a record short presser—39 seconds.
On The (Bobby) Brink Of Greatness
The only thing that kept the Flyers from getting shut out (a result they've only suffered twice this season) was a powerplay goal from Bobby Brink. Brink, who hadn't scored since Mar. 1, was one of the most visible Flyers players on the ice this game, and has had one of the more consistently positive performances in the Flyers' recent gauntlet.
Brink was one of the few bright spots in this game, and has been proving why he deserves to keep his spot in the lineup after a season of healthy scratches and yo-yoing between the NHL and AHL levels. He's made drastic improvements in the physicality of his game, making monstrous plays along the wall and getting more involved in the gritty puck battles the Flyers like to get into in front of the opposition net—all things Tortorella has previously stated he wanted to see Brink get better at.
Plus, when 5'8", 169-pound Brink is the one initiating fights to defend his teammates (Matthew Tkachuk hit Tyson Foerster right at the horn), you know he cares and wants to be in this team.
Onto The Next
The Flyers' mindset all season has been taking everything one game at a time. Don't waste time stressing about the last result, and don't get ahead of yourself worrying about the game after the one in front of you. Right now, every ounce of focus is on the Flyers' upcoming game against the New York Rangers.
With the Washington Capitals right on the Flyers' tail, they need every single point they can get out of their remaining games, and getting even one against the Rangers will be a tall order. The Flyers haven't looked completely on their A game lately, and while they've proven they can beat some of the best teams in the league, they've had an exhausting month of March. Pulling something together against the current best team in the league won't be easy, but knowing this Flyers team, they could very well surprise us. After all, that's been the theme of the entire season so far.
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