Struggles proceed as Flyers drop fifth recreation out of 6 to begin season

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

Perhaps John Tortorella was proper to pump the brakes.

Firstly of October, the pinnacle 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 seemed true.

The Flyers fell to the Capitals, 4-1, Tuesday evening on the Wells Fargo Heart.

Tortorella’s membership is 1-4-1 and has been outscored 25-13. The Flyers have scored just one objective via two residence video games. They had been blanked by the Canucks, 3-0, three days ago in their home opener. They’ve misplaced 5 straight after choosing up a 3-2, season-opening shootout win over Vancouver.

“It is early within the season, I am not too frightened about it, there are lot of men on this room which might be objective scorers,” Travis Sanheim stated. “We’ll get going right here. I am not frightened in any respect.”

In opposition to the Capitals, 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 a little bit over a minute later to shortly quell the Flyers’ momentum. John Carlson’s cross deflected off of Egor Zamula’s skate and into the web.

“If we simply keep and play our recreation — it isn’t a protected recreation, it is a very aggressive recreation — we’ll get our objectives,” Tortorella stated. “There is a superb line of taking part in aggressive, in your toes and checking ahead versus dishonest and hoping. That is when [the play goes] the unsuitable manner, again the opposite manner.

“So that is what we’ve to look at for right here. We have got a gaggle of males right here which might be going to determine this out. We simply must do it collectively and never lose ourselves via panic or frustration and neglect about how we play.”

This was the primary recreation 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 crew an honest 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.

“There are some moments I really feel like I’ve acquired to give you an enormous save,” Ersson stated. “Particularly proper now, we’re perhaps struggling a little bit bit confidence-wise and I believe it is sort of a type of instances I’ve acquired to step up and make a save there.”

Zamula struggled on the level on that second unit, permitting the Capitals to get behind him on the 2 objectives. On the second marker, Bobby Brink flubbed on a cross, which sprung Washington up ice.

“The primary one, I believe it is a little bit arduous bounce for me, I attempted to maintain it within the offensive zone,” Zamula stated. “I believe I can step again or eat it, I do not know. The second, it is only a dangerous turnover for us and behind the web. … We have to play higher and assist one another within the offensive zone increasingly more.”

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 effectively. The facility play was tremendous pricey, although, swinging the momentum fully within the Capitals’ course.

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 evening.

“I believe the most important secret is there is a frustration degree,” Tortorella stated. “They wish to play effectively, they wish to win a hockey recreation, they wish to rating a objective within the residence constructing. You possibly can’t let the frustration flip into the dishonest, you possibly can’t neglect about your construction as we’re going via this. It is sort of doubled up as a result of it is the beginning of the yr and we’re on this jam, so there’s much more stress.”

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.

“We have got lots of perception on this group,” Ersson stated. “We all know what we’re able to. Proper now, it is not likely bouncing our manner. We’re hitting lots of posts, crossbars right here and there. We’re getting probabilities, we’ll convert, it is only a query of when.”

• 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 sort of shut off for some time,” Seeler said Monday. “But it surely feels rather a lot higher.”

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

Taking part in rather than 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. The membership’s PK went 5 for five.

• After taking part in 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. The Flyers have needed to juggle their traces rather a lot early within the season.

“It is powerful on Torts, we’re taking so many penalties, it will get guys out of the stream of the sport,” Couturier stated. “He is attempting to get everybody concerned. That is on us, we have got to be extra disciplined.”

By means 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, identical to all people else, has been up and down,” Tortorella stated Monday. “I really thought his finest minutes, extra concerned, was him taking part in on the wing. … I really 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 be a nine-game audition. The 2024 first-round heart has gone scoreless with three photographs.

“He makes some actually good performs, he has made lots 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 realize? However I nonetheless like what he brings and we’ll 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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