The Philadelphia Flyers faced a monumental challenge against the Colorado Avalanche, one of the NHL's most explosive and dynamic teams.
The Philadelphia Flyers faced a monumental challenge against the Colorado Avalanche, one of the NHL's most explosive and dynamic teams.
Despite falling short in a 3-2 loss, the Flyers that showcased their ability to skate with even the most energetic teams throughout entire games, but also revealed how vulnerable they still are, with multiple players getting banged up and possibly landing more blows on an already slowly-depleting lineup.
A Resilient Fightback In The Third Period
After entering the final frame down 2-0, the Flyers refused to roll over. Goals from Owen Tippett and Tyson Foerster brought the team within a goal of forcing overtime, electrifying the Wells Fargo Center and tipping the momentum more in their favor. It was a testament to the team's growing ability to respond under pressure, a hallmark of the identity they're striving to forge.
The Flyers' effort in the third period demonstrated a sense of urgency and belief, but they weren't immune from elementary mistakes that ultimately cost them the game.
"A lot of the game I liked as we kept going, but goddamn, we do stupid stuff," head coach John Tortorella said after the game. "It's so aggravating, the stuff we do that should be out of our game."
One of the harshest evaluations came from Travis Konecny's failure to cover Cale Makar, who would score twice during the game.
Philadelphia Flyers winger Travis Konecny (11) against the Colorado Avalanche at the Wells Fargo Center.
"It's a bad read [from me]," Konecny admitted. "I'm puck-watching. It's frustrating when you look at the end of the game. It's a one-goal game."
"It's dumb," Tortorella said. "[Konecny] just left the best player in the world to go chase a puck. If we're going to get over the hump, that can't happen—not from a guy we're depending on."
Banged Up
The Flyers seriously struggled with injuries last season, particularly with their defense, and the pattern unfortunately looks to be repeating itself.
Top-pair defenseman Cam York has been out of commission since Oct. 23 with an upper-body injury, and while he has been skating in practices in a full-contact jersey, there isn't an official timeline of when he could return to the lineup.
Jamie Drysdale has also been unavailable due to an upper-body injury, and has been skating in practices in a non-contact jersey.
Emil Andrae, who was called up from the AHL once York was officially ruled out, was doing extremely well for himself with his NHL minutes, but a mid-body injury against the Buffalo Sabres has taken him out of the lineup as well.
Then, against the Avalanche, Egor Zamula went down the tunnel about five minutes into the third period. He did return to the bench for a short period, only to go back down the tunnel. It's not yet exactly known how he was hurt or what the injury is.
Helge Grans, another AHL call-up, made his NHL debut against Colorado last night, and played well, and will hope to continue his good form as the Flyers plug the gaps appearing in their back end.
Lessons From Facing An "Elite Team"
The Avalanche provided a sobering reminder of the difference in skill level between the two teams. Tortorella said that "[the Flyers] are here," holding one hand at his chest, and "[the Avalanche] are where we want to get to," holding his other hand above his head.
While the Flyers' defense and goaltender Aleksei Kolosov held strong against Colorado's relentless attack, they struggled to keep pace with the Avalanche's speed and creativity.
Philadelphia Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway (19) takes a faceoff with Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon (29) at the Wells Fargo Center.
The Flyers also shot themselves in the foot at critical moments, with turnovers and positional breakdowns leading to extended shifts in their defensive zone. While the effort and energy were there for a full 60 minutes, the gap in execution was evident.
Facing a team like Colorado is a litmus test for where the Flyers stand in their development, and this game revealed both how far they've come and how much further they need to go.
"It's a faster team than us," Tortorella acknowledged. "It's night and day. That's an elite team."
The Flyers will remain home to take on the Carolina Hurricanes on Nov. 20 at 7:30 PM.
