Thursday night, the Philadelphia Flyers lost a key Metropolitan showdown to the surging New York Rangers, 6-1.
Philadelphia Flyers' Owen Tippett skates off the ice following a loss in an NHL hockey game against the Florida Panthers, Sunday, March 24, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)
The Flyers jumped out to a fast 1-0 in the first 1:25 of the game, but it was all Rangers after that. It was just one of those nights for the Flyers.
The Flyers record drops to 22-21-6 after the loss Thursday night.
Tough Night All-Around for the Flyers
New York bullied the Flyers on Thursday night. After Owen Tippett put the Flyers up early, the Rangers took control.
The Rangers controlled the puck well in their own offensive zone, dominated the neutral zone, and held the Flyers to limited time in their offensive zone.
To make things even worse, the Flyers still got 36 shots off. The poor offensive night wasn’t for a lack of trying. Rangers’ goalie Igor Shesterkin just happened to have a fantastic night. He stopped 35 of those shots.
Ersson’s Long Night
Ersson had been hot coming out of the holiday break, but he had a night he would want to forget quickly.
The Rangers bombarded Ersson with shots that were difficult to stop, regardless of whether he was on a heater. The five goals against Ersson Thursday night were the most he had allowed since the holiday break and tied for the most he has allowed all season.
Thursday’s start made it four straight starts for the Flyer’s number-one netminder. With that being the first game of a back-to-back, it can be assumed Ivan Fedotov will get the nod in net, giving Ersson some much-needed rest.
Big Night for the Rangers D-Corps
If the loss wasn’t embarrassing enough for the Flyers, the Rangers rubbed even more salt in the wound. All six of the Rangers defensemen tallied a point on Thursday. Three of them scored goals.
New York’s defense shut down the Flyers following the game-opening score, further proving their big night. The Rangers D-corps dominated the Flyers in the 200-foot game.
What’s Next for the Flyers
The Flyers will stay in New York as they head back to Long Island for their second trip to UBS Arena in seven days. They will take on the Islanders on Friday. Puck drop is at 7:30 p.m. EST.
