You have Steve Mason to thank for a point in tonight’s game. He is the Flyers best player, and he flat out stole a point in a game his teammates had no right winning. But even Mason’s 36 saves weren’t enough to shine this steaming turd of a hockey game, thanks to a blown coverage in the final minute and a flubbed play at the blueline in overtime.
The Flyers lost, 2-1, in a game that they both had no right winning and never should have lost.
There were three goals scored in total tonight, and it really did look like Nathan Gerbe’s stupidity would cost the Hurricanes. Scott Hartnell got off the ground with his first point of the season on the power play at the 16:02 mark of the third, finally putting a light on a scoreboard that was pretty damn lonely all night.
There’s nowhere else to place the blame on the game-tying goal, though. In the final minute, the Hurricanes controlled the puck deep in the Flyers end. It came out front, went right past Claude Giroux, who stood there staring at it, and Jordan Staal buried it. Inexcusable bullshit.
The OT goal was a breakaway by Manny Malhotra — admittedly, it’s easy to feel good for the guy who just made an improbable return to the NHL — when Mark Streit failed to get the puck deep. Nothing Mason could do with it.
This was one of the ugliest hockey games I’ve ever watched. It was just sloppy in just about every aspect aside from Mason’s goaltending, from the passing to the lack of goal scoring to the defensive coverage to the special teams. But it could have at least been salvaged with a victory.
Instead, it ended like it did, and I’m honestly trying to think of a night I’ve spent watching hockey that was less fun than tonight. At least with an up-and-down playoff loss, you get the ups and downs. Tonight was just a load of crap, and I feel like I just wasted four hours of my life. Thanks, Flyers.
Questions to Answer
1. How ugly is this game? The worst. So bad.
2. How does Vincent Lecavalier look in his return? The whole top line was awful and they were laughed out of the building by Carolina’s top line.
3. Can Steve Mason bounce back from whatever the hell happened on Friday? Mason is the only bright spot. The only one. All by himself.
4. What’s up with Tye McGinn? Can he prove he deserves to stay in the lineup? He played 5 minutes, so no.
Comment of the Night
I believe this game is what you watch in purgatory, all the time, forever
>> HankMonahan
