The Bruins keep bringing out the worst in the Flyers. Sunday was no different.
Another game, another shooting gallery against Flyers goalie Carter Hart. This time, Boston fired 35 shots in a 7-3 win over the Flyers, who continue to spend too much time in their own end.
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This time, the Flyers didn’t blow a third-period lead against the Bruins, as they did in three of their first four losses to Boston this season.
This time, they crumbled late in the second period as Carter Hart allowed three goals in a 99-second span. Two of the goals, he’ll want back. The Boston eruption turned its 3-2 lead to 6-2 en route to a 7-3 thumping of the Flyers near the shores of Lake Tahoe.
The Flyers, who were missing six regulars who were on the COVID-19 protocol list, have lost all five games (0-3-2) against Boston this season. They are 8-1-1 against the other teams on their schedule.
“They got on top of us,” center Sean Couturier said after the one-sided loss. “We weren’t too responsible defensively. They’re a good team, and they make you pay when they get chances.”
The Flyers (8-4-3) were outshot by 35-19, including 27-8 over the last two periods. They have been badly outshot in 13 of their 15 games.
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They have been outshot in four of their five games against the Bruins (11-3-2): 43-26, 26-17, 35-25, and 35-19. (The Flyers had a 24-23 edge in their 2-1 loss.)
More shots allowed means more time spent defending, of course, and the Flyers have been doing too much of that this season.
Hart’s struggles vs. B’s
Hart played very well when the Flyers dropped a 3-2 overtime decision Thursday to the Rangers, their first game in 11 nights because the COVID-19 protocol caused four of their contests to be postponed. But he struggled Sunday against Boston. Again.
Hart, whose Zoom interview after the game went silent because of what the NHL called “technical difficulties,” is 0-2-2 against the Bruins this season with a 5.32 goals-against average and .843 save percentage.
He has allowed 20 goals against the Bruins — and a combined 18 against the other six teams he has faced this season.
JVR surging
James van Riemsdyk had three points Sunday, including the 500th of his career, and has points in eight of his last nine games. He leads the Flyers with 21 points, tied for 10th in the NHL.
The New Jersey native has 16 points over the last nine games.
Provorov’s milestone
Ivan Provorov tied an NHL record Sunday for the most consecutive games played (330) by a defenseman at the start of a career for the same team. Dan Girardi appeared in his first 330 games for the New York Rangers from 2007 to 2011.
Provorov, 24, should break the record Wednesday against the visiting Rangers.
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Patrick slumping
Nolan Patrick is pointless in his last eight games and, in the loss to Boston, played less time (13:47) than fourth-line center Andy Andreoff (14:34). Patrick has a team-worst minus-5 rating.
Patrick, 22, missed all of last season with a migraine disorder.
Breakaways
In franchise history, the Flyers are 1-3-1 in outdoor games; the win was a come-from-behind, 4-3 overtime victory over Pittsburgh at Lincoln Financial Field in 2019. … In their last two games, the Flyers have had a total of 43 of their shots blocked. … Kevin Hayes, who had two assists in each of the last two games, has 15 points in 15 games. … Couturier has scored on three of his six shots this season. He missed 10 games with a rib injury. ... Mark Friedman, a defenseman, played his first pro game at right wing Sunday and had two shots, two hits, two blocked shots, and a minus-1 rating in 10:10.