[Shift Charts] – [Head-to-Head TOI] – [Corsi and Fenwick] – [5-on-5 Faceoffs]
You wouldn’t know by looking at the final score, but tonight’s game actually started as a goalie duel. Brian Boucher and Tim Thomas each made save after save in the first period, but from there, the wheels completely fell off each of their wagons.
In the end, the Flyers were on the wrong side of all the blown leads, funny bounces and weird goals, losing to the Bruins in Boston by a score of 7-5. We’ll just be real about it: if they won tonight’s game, we’d all be saying how they were lucky to get it done. The Bruins weren’t good either, which allowed the Flyers to be in this one, but this wasn’t a game the good guys want to remember for any potential reason.
Bad goaltending, aside from the first period. A terrible lack of discipline, as usual. Lack of work in the corners. It wasn’t a pretty night. Basically everything that fell the way of the Bruins came as a result of something bad done by the Flyers. Vice versa, too. Basically everything good for the Flyers was the direct result of the Bruins doing something poorly, whether it was missed coverage or bad goaltending or whatever.
It turned into a classic game of pond hockey, and that’s not going to work for these Flyers. Whether you want to chalk this game up as a bad effort or a just a compilation of bad bounces is up to you, but you don’t lose on seven goals against just because of bounces alone.
A few notes, questions with answers and the comment of the night after the jump.
– Jody Shelley won a fight tonight. For real though. Video when we get it.
– You probably can’t blame most of the goals tonight on Boucher, but any time a guy gives up five goals, something is off. It might not be evident by simply watching each play, but Boucher wasn’t the guy he’s been lately. It’s not reason to overreact — this shit happens, it’s hockey — but it’s worth noting. He’ll bounce back.
– Sean O`Donnell scored a goal. That was pretty neat. SOD!
– Zherdev continues to lead the NHL in goals per 60 minutes. He scored on a breakaway tonight. Won’t be shocked if he’s a healthy scratch tomorrow. /lol
– Who in the hell is Steve Kampfer?
– It looked like the puck went over the glass and into the netting just before the Bruins fifth goal. Danny Briere and Ville Leino stopped playing, basically. Can’t do that no matter what, fellas.
– Jody Shelley won a fight. It’s worth repeating.
– The ___________ line continued it’s excellence. Five points.
– Boston’s wooooooooooooooo is still stupid.
– Boston on the whole is still stupid.
– Matt Walker wasn’t all that great in his first game as a Flyer. Willing to let it slide since he hasn’t played NHL hockey in forever, but it wasn’t a great first impression.
Questions with Answers
- That line. Still on top of the world? Yep.
- Boucher comes back after a night off, but he’s still great, right? Nope. Not at all.
- Danny Briere follows up a four-point night with…..? Two point night. And a quiet goal. And a horrible penalty.
- Tim Thomas is really good this season, for whatever reason. Do the Flyers make him look like the sieve we all know he really is? (That’s sarcasm, Bruins fans.) Indeed. He’s a bum. (That’s sarcasm, Bruins fans.)
Comment of the Night
Wait, he’s a real person?
>> Ben Feldman, on Matt Walker’s return
