Three Takeaways From Flyers Loss vs. Utah

The Philadelphia Flyers suffered a frustrating 4-2 loss to the Utah Hockey Club in their first-ever meeting.

Despite two key players returning from injuries and some promising moments going forward, it was a back-and-forth game that ultimately didn’t end in the Flyers’ favor. 

Joel Farabee Back on the Scoresheet, Buth With Mixed Feelings

Joel Farabee found the back of the net, but even he admitted it wasn’t his cleanest goal. Nick Seeler made the shot, which Farabee ensured got directed in the back of the net—a move he felt some regret about.

"I kind of just saw the puck and whacked it," he said postgame. "I wish I would have just blocked the [defenseman] and let [the puck] go in. It was a good play by Seels. I wish he would have got credit for it."

While it put the Flyers on the board and gave them a spark, it wasn’t enough to turn the tide. Farabee’s honesty about the goal speaks volumes about the team’s frustration.

"[Utah] are a good team," he admitted. "They've got a lot of good skill and young players and they're slippery and they're tough to check in our zone...We just didn't have that edge to us tonight."

Jamie Drysdale And Sam Ersson Return to the Lineup

After lengthy absences, Jamie Drysdale and Sam Ersson returned to the lineup, providing a boost to the Flyers. While both acknowledged there was bound to be some rust after time away, their performances offered glimmers of hope.

Head coach John Tortorella acknowledged that he thought Ersson "played well, looked confident," while Drysdale was "very encouraging" in his first game back from injury.

Drysdale displayed his usual poise on the blue line, moving the puck well and showing flashes of the skill that makes him such a key piece of the Flyers' future. He nearly had a highlight-reel moment with a goal that could have shifted the game’s momentum, but it was disallowed due to goaltender interference. The call, which many on the Flyers bench visibly disagreed with, seemed to take the wind out of their sails.

"It's kind of ridiculous, if you ask me," Farabee said of the call. "It changes the whole game...[Konecny] is standing [in the crease] for ten seconds before that, and then as the shot's coming, [the goalie] throws his head back. That's all I need to say about it."

Ersson, meanwhile, stood tall in net and made several key saves to keep the Flyers in the game. While Utah capitalized on some defensive miscues, Ersson’s return provided much-needed stability in the crease.

"I think I played pretty well in the first [period]," he said. "It's one of those games for me where I kind of feel like, 'I've gotta get that [goal] back,' but I need to come up with one extra save to get a chance to win."

Flukey Mistakes and Tired Defense

A night marred by small but significant mistakes ultimately sealed the Flyers’ fate. The most glaring came late in the game when Morgan Frost, attempting to clear the puck from the defensive zone, forgot to bring it with him, ultimately allowing Utah to score their fourth goal.

However, Tortorella defended Frost, saying, "It was just one of those mistakes that, I mean, he won't do again the rest of his career. That line [of Frost, Owen Tippett, and Matvei Michkov] was playing [well]...I had no problems with his game." 

Tortorella also listed a tired defense as part of the Flyers' struggles against Utah, saying, "I thought our back end looked tired tonight. [They] killed a lot of penalties. It's the wear and tear from killing penalties the way we have. They looked tired tonight."

The Flyers will be on the road for their next game, taking on the Columbus Blue Jackets on Dec. 10.