‘We Sank in Pressure Situations’: Flyers’ Haunting Mistakes Lead to Devastating Loss

“That’s unacceptable, what happened tonight… We sank in pressure situations,” said Philadelphia Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet after Wednesday’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Utah Mammoth.

For most of the night, it looked as if Wednesday was going to be another momentum-building win for the Flyers, following up their 2-1 victory kicking off the road trip in Vegas.

The Flyers started the game by jumping out to a 3-0 lead, before eventually carrying a 4-2 lead into the final roughly 7 minutes of the game. Everything was going great. Christian Dvorak played probably his best game in a Flyers uniform, scoring twice and picking up an assist, all while going 15/21 (71%) at the dot.

Bobby Brink found the scoresheet for the first time since returning from injury, playing another really strong game. Matvei Michkov, while not on the scoresheet, looked really strong and engaged on Wednesday. Trevor Zegras picked up two primary assists on both power-play goals and was solid all night.

The Flyers had a chance to head to Colorado on a two-game streak, looking to sweep the road trip and right the ship following that six-game losing streak. For most of the game, that looked like where it was headed.

However, late-game mistakes allowed the game to unravel for Philadelphia, leading to three-straight Mammoth goals and the Flyers’ disappointment.

In a pressure situation, instead of rising to the occasion, the Flyers sank.

Read More: Flyers Stunned by Late Mammoth Push, Lose 5-4 in Overtime Wednesday Night

Flyers’ mistakes come at a costly time

It was not a perfect game, but the Flyers played one of their best of the season, except for that minute in the second period when Utah scored twice.

For the first time in what feels like a while, they werent taking stupid penalties. Defensivley, they held their ground again, and Sam Ersson was in the middle of his second-straight really good game.

Noah Juulsen cannot take a roughing penalty in that late-thid period situation. Even if it was in defense of a teammate, which I don’t blame him for, you can’t allow your opponent to go on the power play late while only up two. However, that was the least of the Flyers’ mistakes.

It was late-game mistakes that were costly, and no mistake might haunt them more than this one.

With a chance to seal the game, Garnet Hathaway had a breakaway and an empty net. He held on to the puck for too long and got pick-pocketed on the play. A few other Flyers’ chances came, but none as clear. The Mammoth always had a defender on the Flyers’ forwards, not allowing them another good look.

Utah eventually tied the game following a handful of mistakes. The Flyers were aggressive on forecheck, trying to get that empty-netter. Travis Sanheim had the puck, but it was stolen by Clayton Keller along the boards, whose backhanded shot sent the game to overtime.

In the extra frame, it was the same thing. This time, it was Travis Konecny along the boards, who lost the puck to Dylan Guenther. Guenther had Keller in the offensive zone. It would have been nice to see Ersson make the save, but with those two on the rush, it’s a difficult stop to make.

After the game, Tocchet was blunt about the team’s performance. “I’ve been here for 50 games, and there has been some really good stuff. But when the pressure hits this team, we have to learn how to play winning hockey.”

After about 110 minutes where it seemed like the Flyers were finally back on track, the end of Wednesday’s game proves there is still plenty to clean up.

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