Struggles proceed as Flyers drop fifth sport out of 6 to start out season

Struggles continue as Flyers drop 5th game out of 6 to start season initially appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Possibly John Tortorella was proper to pump the brakes.

Firstly of October, the top coach stated the Flyers had “so much s— to do” before they even started talking about the playoffs being the next step.

To date, that certain has appeared true.

The Flyers fell to the Capitals, 4-1, Tuesday night time on the Wells Fargo Middle.

Tortorella’s membership is 1-4-1 and has been outscored 25-13. The Flyers have scored just one objective by two residence video games. They had been blanked by the Canucks, 3-0, three days ago in their home opener.

Towards the Capitals, Travis Sanheim buried a shot at 4-on-4 simply 34 seconds into the third interval to attract the Flyers inside 2-1. However Washington took the objective proper again at 4-on-4 just a little over a minute later to shortly quell the Flyers’ momentum. Dylan Strome beat the Flyers to the slot for a deflection.

This was the primary sport of a home-and-home back-to-back set between the Flyers and Capitals (4-1-0).

• Samuel Ersson actually hasn’t been the Flyers’ drawback. The 25-year-old has given the group a good likelihood to win in his 4 begins.

He made 25 saves on 29 photographs towards Washington. Jakob Chychrun sealed the sport with 5:53 minutes left within the third interval.

The Flyers’ second energy play unit surrendered two shorthanded objectives within the first interval. Egor Zamula struggled on the level on that unit, permitting the Capitals to get behind him on the 2 objectives. On the second marker, Bobby Brink flubbed on a go, which sprung Washington up ice.

Zamula completed the sport as a minus-3. Scott Laughton was a minus-4.

At 5-on-5 within the first interval, the Flyers performed fairly properly. The ability play was tremendous expensive, although, swinging the momentum utterly within the Capitals’ route.

The Flyers didn’t generate a lot in any respect offensively over the second and third durations. Their energy play went 0 for 3 on the night time.

Washington netminder Charlie Lindgren stopped 17 of the Flyers’ 18 photographs. He confronted solely eight photographs over the ultimate two durations.

From Jan. 18 to the end line final common season, Lindgren was the only goalie to play more than Ersson.

• The Flyers noticed the return of an vital piece in Nick Seeler. The second-pair defenseman missed the primary 5 video games after taking a puck to the peroneal nerve in his right leg on Oct. 1.

“I’ve by no means skilled one thing like that — leg simply form of shut off for some time,” Seeler said Monday. “However it feels rather a lot higher.”

The 31-year-old has been a glue man for the Flyers’ again finish. Relationship again to final season when he missed time in March, the Flyers have gone 5-8-3 and surrendered 4.07 objectives per sport and 13 energy play objectives with out Seeler.

Taking part in instead of Erik Johnson, Seeler was alongside Jamie Drysdale, a crucial pair for the Flyers. Proper off the hop, Seeler made two efficient performs on a first-period penalty kill, which completed 5 for five.

• After enjoying half of final Saturday’s residence opener on the left wing of the fourth line, Sean Couturier was again down the center of the ice. He centered Owen Tippett and Matvei Michkov on the primary line.

By way of six video games, the Flyers’ captain has no objectives and an help. It sounds just like the winger experiment is not completely over.

“Sean, similar to all people else, has been up and down,” Tortorella stated Monday, two days after the house opener. “I truly thought his finest minutes, extra concerned, was him enjoying on the wing. … I truly appreciated him there.”

• Jett Luchanko and Tyson Foerster had been wholesome scratches as Noah Cates and Nicolas Deslauriers drew into the lineup.

The 18-year-old Luchanko is 4 video games into what could possibly be a nine-game audition. The 2024 first-round middle has gone scoreless with three photographs.

“He makes some actually good performs, he has made a whole lot of actually good performs on his backhand,” Tortorella stated Monday. “Good performs, struggles at instances. Makes some actually good defensive performs, struggles at instances. He is 18, you understand? However I nonetheless like what he brings and we will carry on evaluating him and see the place we go from there.”

• The Flyers and Washington are proper again at it Wednesday, this time within the nation’s capital (7:30 p.m. ET/TNT).

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