Flyers Beat On Home Ice, Fall 6-3 to Flames on Tuesday

The Philadelphia Flyers were beaten on their home ice Tuesday night, falling 6-3 to the Calgary Flames.

Noah Cates started the Flyers’ scoring, followed by Andrei Kuzmenko scoring against his former team, and Sean Couturier late in the third. Morgan Frost picked up two assists for the Flames in his return to Philadelphia, but that was the only points scored by the two former Flyers, Frost and Joel Farabee.

With the loss, the Flyers fell to 27-27-8 for the season, as playoff hopes begin to slip away.

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No Shortage of First Period Goals

I am no betting man, but if you took the over in this game, you had to be smiling after the first period.

Six total goals were scored in one of the most wild periods of hockey the Flyers have played this season.

Connor Zary (11) got the scoring started for the Flames with 7:40 run off the game clock. 33 seconds later, Nazem Kadri (22) extended the Flames’ lead to 2-0. It did not take much longer for Zary (12) to net his second goal in less than two minutes. The Flames had a commanding 3-0 lead with 10:28 to play in the first period. The Flyers quickly switched from Sam Ersson to Ivan Fedotov after Ersson had just two saves on five shots.

Noah Cates (14) got the scoring started for the Flyers 22 seconds after Zary’s second tally of the night. Four goals scored within two minutes and 14 seconds.

Things settled down a bit later, and then Andrei Kuzmenko made what could be his best play with the Flyers.

Kuzmenko (6) brought the Flyers back within one after he fought off the checking Flames, and maintained possession of the puck, and buried the shot against his former club with just under three minutes to play in the period.

However, it would not have been right if the Flames did not answer. 18 seconds later, Yegor Sharangovich (12) extended the Flames lead back to two, as they took a 4-2 lead into the first break.

Back to the over–it was set at 5.5 before the game. Six goals were scored in the first period alone.

Power-Play Goal is the Difference

The second period was much more calm than the first.

After a period where saves came at a premium, the scoring slowed down.

It was by no means a better defensive period for either team, but each offense had a bit of a harder time solving the opposing netminder. The Flames outshot the Flyers 12-9 in the period, but sloppy play from both teams took away any real offensive threat.

It looked like a scoreless frame, but a roughing penalty against Nick Seeler changed all that. Quick into the Flames chance with the man-advantage, Mackenzie Weegar (7) netted the power-play goal. Morgan Frost (16) got his fourth point as a member of the Flames with an assist on the score.

The Flyers had a chance on the power play to close the period, but they could not find any luck. The remaining 36 seconds of the power play bled into the third period, but Philadelphia could not score. The Flames took a 5-2 lead into the second intermission.

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Late Game Spark

For the first half of the third period, it looked as if a blank third frame was on the horizon. The Flyers were trailing 5-2, and another scoreless power play killed what little momentum going into the third, if there was any.

Sean Couturier (10) brought the Flyers into striking distance with 9:17 to play in the game. The Flyers had a sustained presence in the offensive zone for a bit after the goal, as if Couturier’s tally jolted life back into the team.

However, with an opportunity on the power play and time with the extra attacker, the Flyers were unable to score. Matt Coronato (16) scored the empty netter for the Flames, giving them the 6-3 win over the Flyers.

What’s Next for the Flyers

The Flyers will host the Winnipeg Jets Thursday–the team’s last game before the NHL trade deadline.

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