The Flyers finished their weekend back-to-back tonight with a 6-2 thumping of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Let’s talk about it!
SO THE FLYERS ACTUALLY PLAYED WELL, HUH?
They did! By basically any measure — goals, shots, good ol’ watching the game — the Flyers thoroughly controlled this game basically from the moment Matt Cullen opened the scoring just 4:31 into the contest. It took them a while to actually get on the scoreboard, but from there they’d proceed to take the lead in the second period and pour it on in the third.
And they weren’t just holding the puck at the blue line, either! The Flyers routed the Pens in scoring chances and high-danger chances (via), and Matt Murray had to make several nice saves in this one. 13 Flyers picked up at least one point on the night, from the likeliest suspects to the less-likely ones (Dale Weise! Brandon Manning! Radko Gudas!).
All in all, there wasn’t much to dislike, and while it’s true that the Penguins are almost laughably shorthanded due to injuries (and lost another key player, forward Conor Sheary, in this game), this was still an outstanding effort top to bottom by the guys in orange.
YOU’RE TELLING ME THAT THEY COULDN’T HAVE SAVED ONE OF THOSE FOR YESTERDAY WHEN THEY LOST 1-0???
No one said hockey was fair.
SO WHO SCORED THE GOALS?
First, Jordan Weal collected his fifth of the season in the final minute of the first period, wiring a shot past (through?) Murray on the rush.
Jordan is Wealin’ and dealin’ out there for the @NHLFlyers. #PHIvsPIT pic.twitter.com/1rQSyW3qaj
— NHL (@NHL) March 27, 2017
Then, in the second period, Valtteri Filppula got his second in a Flyers uniform on a scramble in front of the net, one which would stand up after Penguins coach and former Sacred Heart Hospital janitor Mike Sullivan unsuccessfully challenged for goaltender interference.
We see you Valtteri 👀 #PHIvsPIT pic.twitter.com/Jx7r0OXYmI
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) March 27, 2017
Then—
HANG ON, WAIT, YOU’RE SAYING THE FLYERS GOT THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT ON A BORDERLINE GOALIE INTERFERENCE CALL? HAS THAT EVER HAPPENED BEFORE?
Fairly positive that is has not, no.
NEAT. IS TRAVIS KONECNY STILL PLAYING ON THE FOURTH LINE?
Yep. And not only that, he played a team-low 8:02 in ice time. Seems like the opposite of what you would want to do with a talented young player in the final weeks of a lost season, but what do I know?
WOULDN’T IT BE COOL IF HE JUST HAD A SHIFT OR TWO WITH GUYS WHO MAYBE ARE POSSIBLY CAPABLE OF SCORING AT THE NHL LEVEL? WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD HAPPEN?
I mean, yeah, it would be cool, especially since this is what he can do given a shift with Dale Weise.
What a play by Travis Konecny to get the puck down and over quickly to Weise for the finish! pic.twitter.com/wTrAjvl3T8
— Sons of Penn (@SonsofPenn) March 27, 2017
(Great pass from Couturier there, too. He now has 11 points in his last 12 games.)
DID ANY OTHER TALENTED, DYNAMIC YOUNG FLYER WHO HAS HAD A SOMEWHAT TURBULENT SEASON DO SOME GOOD THINGS TONIGHT?
Shayne Gostisbehere had two points, and his best play of the night may have been on a sequence where he didn’t even get a point: his pass to Jakub Voracek that sprung the Flyers on a break that eventually ended in their fourth goal of the game.
Great breakout by Shayne Gostisbehere to spring Jake Voracek en route to the goal sequence. pic.twitter.com/FNf4g6NleY
— Sons of Penn (@SonsofPenn) March 27, 2017
SO, SINCE THESE ARE THE FLYERS, SOMETHING BAD HAPPENED, RIGHT?
I mean, duh. Wayne Simmonds messed up in the third period, getting an elbow up high on Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin while trying to pursue the puck.
Wayne Simmonds catches Brian Dumoulin with an elbow up high. pic.twitter.com/PIdsZPUrjX
— Sons of Penn (@SonsofPenn) March 27, 2017
A charitable view here is that Simmer lunged for the puck (as it was in the air) and inadvertently hit Dumoulin; a non-charitable view would be that Simmonds was blatantly headhunting him. I lean closer to the former, but you could certainly argue that it was a bit reckless by Wayne even if that is the case. We’ll see if the NHL would like to have a word with him about it tomorrow. (Should’ve just speared him in the junk, Wayne; I hear they’re fine with that in Pittsburgh.)
ANY OTHER THOUGHTS?
Yeah, those Pens jerseys that they wore in the outdoor game (that they wore again tonight) are bad. Here’s to them never being worn again, let’s hope.
IS ANYTHING ELSE THAT HAPPENS IN THE FINAL TWO WEEKS OF THE SEASON GOING TO BE AS SATISFYING AS THIS WAS?
Almost certainly not, no. Seven more games. Cherish them while you still can.
Back home on Tuesday to face Ottawa. Go Flyers.
