Final Thoughts vs. Phoenix (11/22/08)
Jeff Carter would not be denied. With the Flyers trailing 2-1 and playing relatively uninspired hockey, Carter blocked a shot from the point and got a shorthanded breakaway. He missed the net, but the play seemed to inspire Carter. Held without a shot through the first two periods, Carter unloaded on Phoenix goaltender Mikael Tellqvist in the third, taking 7 shots on goal in the final frame. He scored the tying goal at the end of regulation and continued his dominance in overtime, eventually leading to Mike Richards game winner.
This was not an easy game for the Flyers to win, and maybe they didn’t deserve to win. But good teams have the ability to reach down and find a way. Tonight the Flyers did that. Maybe it was fatigue, having played last night in Buffalo. Or, maybe it was taking the Coyotes for granted, they came into tonight’s game on a down swing, losing five of their last six games. But after dominating the first twelve minutes, the Flyers were largely outplayed until the third period.
Even after they tied the game at two and began to carry the play, they encountered another setback when Todd Fedoruk’s knuckle ball found the back of the net, giving Phoenix a 3-2 lead with just over four minutes remaining in the game. But they found a way, lead by Carter’s refusal to give up.
This must have been exactly what the Flyers had envisioned when they drafted both Jeff Carter and Mike Richards in the first round of the 2003 Draft. It payed off in spades tonight.
Positives:
- Jeff Carter. This win is a direct result of Jeff Carter’s outstanding 3rd period.
- Team Flyers resolve was impressive. They didn’t play their best game, and certainly didn’t get a lot of bounces. But they found a way to get a win.
- The Penalty Killing continues to be outstanding. When the games outcome hung in the balance the Flyers penalty killers, namely Jeff Carter, had better chances than the Coyotes power play.
- The Power play has continued to produce. Struggling recently, 3 for 24, they are still hovering at 5th in the league. They got another tonight to tie the game in the third. That goal seemed to give the Flyers a new resolve.
Negatives:
- The Flyers played large stretches of tonight’s game uninspired and lackadaisical.
- Their low level of play led to them falling back into the habit of taking bad penalties.
Notes:
Just how prolific is the Flyers offense? Entering tonight, they are the only team in the NHL to have seven players with at least five goals * After starting the season 0-3-3, The Flyers were 8-3-1 entering tonight’s game against Phoenix. The turnaround has everything to do with defense. They cut their goals against average almost in half, going from 4.67 to 2.25. Another reason is the penalty kill, which jumped from 79.5% to 89.1%, good for 6th in the league * The Flyers next take on the Dallas Stars Monday night at the Wachovia Center.
-Mike Tursi
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