February 28, 2024
Eric Hartline/USA TODAY Sports
The view from ice level at the Wells Fargo Center Tuesday night after a partial power outage knocked out a good chunk of the arena lights.
The Flyers were up 1-0 over the Tampa Bay Lightning just over six minutes into a typical, though crucial, NHL game Tuesday night at the Wells Fargo Center.
Then, as Tampa Bay's Tyler Motte skated to carry the puck into the Philadelphia zone, a good chunk of the arena's lights suddenly went out – more than enough to make the building substantially dimmer. The refs blew the whistle as soon as the Flyers touched the puck and a delay followed.
It wasn't just the lights either. The sound system went down, too, so there was no music or Lou Nolan over the public address. The scoreboard also froze and went out, along with the two LED rings around the arena bowls, leaving everyone without a visible clock or one stuck on 13:43 in the first.
A transformer blew, Wells Fargo Center president Phil Laws said (via PHLY's Charlie O'Connor), and the arena suffered a partial power outage because of it. No one was hurt. And after a few minutes of the officials going back and forth between the benches back down on the ice during the pause, play resumed under the lights that were still on.
And for a decent stretch well into the second period, that's all there was. Just the play and its sounds of skates carving into the ice, sticks tapping, pucks and bodies crashing off the boards, and the waves of a crowd that bought into the moment.
It was surreal and unique for many, especially the Mites on Ice during a first intermission that went without any of its usual theatrics, as the kids skated out to the loudest roar anyone had gotten to that point in the night.
The lights and sound eventually came back on, and the Flyers went on to pummel the Lightning 6-2 in a much-needed win that included a five-goal surge in the third. That power outage, however, was inevitably part of the conversation postgame, and using the player media scrums and head coach John Tortorella's press conference after, here's an attempt at trying to paint the picture of what it was like for the Flyers to play through it...
Center Morgan Frost: "Oh yeah, it was super weird. I feel like something like that's happened before, whether it's here or a different building, and usually it comes back on in a couple minutes or something. So that was weird, but I think everyone was still down to play with the way it was. I think it was more asking the goalies if they were cool with it and, yeah, ended up playing. It was weird though because it kinda took a little bit of energy out of the game, I thought. But yeah, kept playing."
Winger Tyson Foerster: "Yeah, it was super dead in there, we felt like on the bench. Not the fans, the fans were great, but just like no music or anything, it was kinda weird."
What the hell just happened😂😂😂😂 #TBLvsPHI #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/d818POegcU
— Flyers Clips (@Flyers_Clips) February 28, 2024
Defenseman Travis Sanheim: "It almost felt like the outdoor game with the darkness around us. Then it started to get really hot and the ice started to get terrible there as it got warmer. Definitely a weird game, but happy with the result. Obviously, you go into the third tied up and find a way to win a hockey game."
Goaltender Samuel Ersson: "Yeah, it was that and I felt like old school, maybe 50 years ago hockey. That's kinda what it looked like to me, so it's definitely different, but we found a way."
Defenseman Sean Walker: "Yeah, I think the lights were a little dimmer there for most of the second, so definitely a little bit of shadows, but I thought everybody adjusted really well. Didn't think too much about it. Just went and played."
Foerster: "I didn't notice it, but Ers might've. I don't know."
Ersson: "After a couple minutes, you get used to it. You could still see the puck pretty well.
Head coach John Tortorella: "They asked us – they asked me if you want to play. I did, and [Lightning head coach Jon Cooper] did, and we both decided let's ask the goalies. And we're up 1-0 at that time, I think, aren't we?... Yeah, so, I don't think Ers was too crazy [about it] – I really don't give a s*** what Ers thought at that time. We're up 1-0, we're gonna play. So, yeah, I think that was the biggest thing because the goalies, that's who it affects the most."
Ersson: "I think it's just weird because it's different. You see the puck well, and it's not a huge challenge for you to track the puck. It's just you get used to the difference."
First period over. Power still out of wack. The Mites play on. The crowd roars. pic.twitter.com/M2ARXWGAvY
— Nick Tricome (@itssnick) February 28, 2024
Tortorella: "The first two periods, both teams kinda [non-eventful], lights, all the stuff going on. The biggest point I take out of it is we didn't lose our concentration. Easy game to get caught up in. The delays of it, the lights, two periods of the teams really not doing much. To come out and play a good third period, it's a good sign."
Sanheim: "Yeah, I don't think we were really expecting it, but I mean once you get used to that lighting, it's just like anything. You play in a dark building, you get used to it. So, I think guys adjusted and found a way to win a hockey game."
Frost: "Maybe cracking a couple more jokes out there, but no, nothing too different. I think, like I said, it was kinda weird, but it was a big game for us. So I think we just got the adrenaline going once the game started again."
Walker: "We're at the time of the year, obviously, where every point matters, especially after the two that we had pretty close games. We felt like we were in them. Definitely could've won if a couple bounces go our way, but come out, play a team like [Tampa Bay] tonight, it's kind of a little bit of a statement. Obviously, we don't talk about statement games or anything like that, but it's always good to play good against a high-powered offensive team like that and go score some goals ourselves."
Tortorella: "It was just the way the game was played. Lot of delays, lot of conversations. I think last year we might lose ourselves and get a little antsy when they score and tie it up. We just kept it together, got through the second period – I thought they were better than we were – and then had a really good third."
Sanheim: "We were just trying to shut down that top line. [Tampa Bay] kinda stacked it up there with [Brayden Point] and [Nikita Kucherov] and I thought we did a good job for the most part. Obviously, they get one at 6-on-5 there, but thought we did a pretty good job and happy with the result.
Ersson: "I think we did what we've done all year. We're very good at shutting other team's offenses down, and I think we did that in a good way, trying to have a little bit more patience attacking the middle, protecting the middle of the ice. Their top guys, they like to lure you out a little bit and find seams, so have a little bit more patience in our game and I think we did that in a good way."
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