We’ll keep this short and sweet since it’s now 2015 where most of you are reading this. The Flyers lost their third straight game tonight, the second straight against a bottom-dwelling Western Conference team. There were four lead changes when all was said and done, as the Flyers led at the end of the first, trailed 2-1 after two unlucky goals in the second, scored two very nice goals in the third, and then saw that lead vanish on a perfect Jarome Iginla shot on the power play.
And as the minutes in overtime ticked down and we all started wondering if 2014 would end in, of all ways, a shootout, a great shift for the Avs ended with Ryan O’Reilly putting one past a screened Steve Mason at approximately 11:53 p.m. ET, handing the Flyers a 4-3 loss juuuuuust as the year came to an end.
Quick notes:
- Claude Giroux’s goal that put the Flyers ahead in the third (before Colorado tied it again) was beeeeeeeeeeeautiful:/
- The fourth line had another goal! On a nice shot from Vincent Lecavalier. That was cool. Fourth-line offense has been cool to see lately.
- Michael Del Zotto was back in the lineup for the first time in about a month, and he made some good things happen here and there. Had a really nice stretch pass to Simmonds late in the second period to spring him on a breakaway. Not an incredible game on the whole, but you could tell his speed and puck-moving ability was welcomed. Oh and he also almost got cut by a skate by Danny Briere on his first shift. Scary moment there.
- With Matt Read as its latest left wing, the top line still seemed to be doing alright for itself. Giroux and Voracek (who opened the scoring on the power play in the first period) managed to get a number of chances. Think that says more about those two than it does Read, but oh well.
- Two fluky goals for Colorado in the second period, both of which deflected off of Flyers on their way to the net. That kind of night.
- You hear it talked about a lot with Colorado, but man, that team really is quick. Noticed it a number of times tonight, especially given that the Flyers are, well, not so quick. Have to imagine that team will be good once they actually start playing defense regularly…
- The Flyers did not win a single shootout in the year 2014. Can you imagine if that game had gone to a shootout and they’d won it?
Will have some more, actual coherent thoughts tomorrow, maybe. Happy new year from all of us at Broad Street Hockey! Thanks for reading all through 2014; we’ll try and keep giving you reasons to do so in 2015. Stay safe, all.
