April 09, 2024
The first goal went to the Canadiens and immediately it felt like 'Here we go again.'
The Flyers had to work from behind – again. They had to chase and chase and sell out defensively on shot blocking against lines who could buzz all around them down in their own zone – again. They had to combat just some plain rotten luck and misfortune – again, generate chance after chance only to send the puck sailing wide or straight into the goalie's pads – again, and account for minutes wasted from a power play so ineffective that it's clearly a man-disadvantage at this point – again.
The Philadelphia Flyers lost – again, this time in a 9-3 pummeling from the Habs up in Montreal. The winless spiral extends to eight games, and after the Islanders and Capitals both won simultaneously, the playoff hopes are only fading that much faster. Heck, they might as well be a pipe dream at this rate following Tuesday night's listless performance.
Things were bad, they only got worse, the Flyers can't figure out how to fix it, or just don't have it in them to, and there's next to no time left.
A season that took nearly everyone in hockey by surprise, now is just imploding down the stretch. At least the Eagles won't be the only ones in Philadelphia.
"I don't question the care," head coach John Tortorella said postgame. "I don't question the effort, because as I've said, it's been a strong group all year long. That's what – you know what, I'm frustrated for them because we're – this is rock bottom tonight for us, and I hate to see us at this time of year be playing this way after all the good minutes we've put in throughout the year."
The Canadiens, who don't have anything left but pride to play for this year, had the Flyers on their heels in the opening minute. The line of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky cycled the puck with quick and decisive efficiency that Philadelphia just couldn't match – which got established as the norm throughout the night – and when the puck movement pulled the Flyers out of position, Caufield slipped the puck to Mike Matheson in the high slot, whose shot found its way through traffic, bounced off of Slafkovsky, and past Sam Ersson for the opening tally.
For the seventh time in eight games, the Flyers spotted their opponents a 1-0 lead and put themselves behind the eight ball yet again.
"Hard to take any positives out of that one," said defenseman Travis Sanheim. "Obviously not ideal to go down 1-0 early. Seems like we've been chasing it a lot lately, much of the same tonight."
Juraj Slafkovsky has been credited with the Habs 1st goal! pic.twitter.com/YKH2zeCQuw
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) April 9, 2024
They picked up the energy after that goal, but you just knew nothing was going to come of it.
Joel Farabee, Morgan Frost, Owen Tippett, Tyson Foerster, Travis Konecny, Bobby Brink, and a Sean Couturier who made his return to the lineup from a shoulder injury – all of whom have been quiet during this downswing – all pressed and forced their chances, but continued to be just completely unable to find the back of the net.
The Flyers got a power play chance after Montreal got tagged for too many men on the ice midway through the first period, but unsurprisingly, though no less painfully, they failed to set up camp in the offensive zone and the opportunity led nowhere – again.
If Habs goaltender Sam Montembeault, who made 33 of 36 saves, didn't stop it, Montreal defenders were stepping in front of pucks a second ahead of the Flyers to clear it, or shots ricocheted off the back glass with a prayer that they would find a corner.
Ersson, who Tortorella admitted has tired out after playing more hockey than he's ever had earlier in the week, battled back down the other way and made some tough saves to at least help his team escape the first period only down one, but that couldn't last.
Approaching the halfway point of the second period, the Suzuki line went back to work, defensive coverage broke down, and Slafkovsky was left all alone down by the right faceoff circle. Suzuki hit him with a pass from across the ice and the 20-year old had Ersson caught with a wide open net for goal No. 2.
Nick Suzuki with an absolutely beautiful feed to Slafkovsky for his second of the night 🚨 pic.twitter.com/DA6L0NwoSF
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) April 10, 2024
Then Brendan Gallagher deflected in a point shot that cycled around to make it 3-0, and seconds later, an intercepted chip in and a stretch pass sent Slafkovsky splitting straight through a Marc Staal and Erik Johnson defensive pairing that got torched all night. The first overall draft pick from 2022 had Ersson caught again, hat trick, the first of his career, and a 4-0 Canadiens lead that only snowballed.
Juraj Slafkovsky (20 years, 10 days)
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) April 10, 2024
2nd youngest player in Canadiens history to score a Hat Trick (Stephane Richer: 19y 283 d on Mar. 17, 1986)#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/g9EUpNlr7g
But Fedotov didn't have any easier of a time. Gallagher scored another, Christian Dvorak racked up two of his own, and Joel Armia scored the Habs' ninth of the night with only two Ryan Poehling goals and, finally, a late Farabee tally after several weeks to break the string up and put a brief pause on the Flyers' bleeding.
But those hardly mean anything right now.
Exhausted, banged up, folding under pressure, crumbling in the moment, any descriptor or reason feels apt after Tuesday night.
Because the Flyers look like they just don't have anything left.
"I think there's been a lot of talk of that," Tortorella said. "This time of year, all teams are tired. We're not as gifted as some teams. We have a process that we're going through. We can't forget that. We're still building here. I appreciate all the work [the players] put in to put us in this spot, to play these types of games, but we just have not been able to elevate our game.
"It's my responsibility to put them in that spot and try to get them to elevate the game, have not done it. But these are hard lessons."
There are three games remaining to find any kind of final spark, but the Capitals beat the Red Wings to pull ahead in the narrowing playoff race and the Islanders put away the juggernaut Rangers to pull even further ahead, and both have a game in hand all while the Flyers get that same Rangers team in New York up next, who they haven't beaten all season.
They're still in it, but the chances are incredibly slim now. They would need a near-miracle.
Caps pull ahead, Isles pull further ahead, and both have a game in hand along with the Pens and Red Wings - and they'll play one another Thursday night. pic.twitter.com/m5AyrdObhp
— Nick Tricome (@itssnick) April 10, 2024
Although playoff implications aren't looking like all that much of a concern anymore. Now you have to wonder if the Flyers can even make it to the season's finish line.
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