Flyers flounder against the New Jersey Devils in a 7-0 shutout

NEWARK, N.J. — At the All-Star Game, New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes vowed to get revenge on the Flyers in their final matchup of the season, as Philadelphia held the 2-1 series edge.

Hughes’ promise became a nightmarish reality, as the Flyers fell, 7-0, to the skilled and speedy Devils on Saturday night at the Prudential Center on the second night of a back-to-back. Their self-inflicted wounds, from turnovers to lost puck battles to blown coverages, gave way to two of the Devils’ three goals in the second period — a Hughes off-the-bench breakaway beauty for their second and Dawson Mercer’s wide-open one-timer from the low slot for their third.

Defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler opened the scoring three minutes into the middle frame when his shot through traffic beat goalie Samuel Ersson. The Flyers continued to flounder in the third period, allowing goals toNico Hischier, Dougie Hamilton, Jesper Bratt, and Nathan Bastian. The seven goals are the most the Flyers have conceded in a game all season.

“I think we work hard. It just probably doesn’t look that way because we’re not working smart,” winger Scott Laughton said. “We’re making it hard on ourselves, making it hard on our D and our goalies.”

Now, the Flyers have dropped seven of eight games. They have scored 16 goals in that span while allowing 37.

The Flyers lacked a veteran presence among their forward group going into the game — James van Riemsdyk was scratched, as coach John Tortorella said pregame that he was “a little banged up.”

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Thanks to the penalty-drawing efforts of wingers Owen Tippett and Kieffer Bellows while driving to the net with the puck on their sticks, the Flyers went on the power play twice in the first period. However, both efforts proved uninspiring, and the Flyers now boast the league’s worst power play (15.79%). The Flyers struggled to gain entry into the Devils’ zone and mustered only one shot on goal on both first-period power plays, their only two of the game. In their last seven games, they have gone 2-for-12 on the power play.

At even strength, the Flyers started off the first period slowly, but managed to generate 10 scoring chances to the Devils’ 12, per Natural Stat Trick. But the Devils ran away with the game in the second period, and the Flyers created only four chances. For the game, the Flyers generated 25 shots on goal, but they couldn’t solve Devils goalie Akira Schmid.

Twenty-one-year-old center Elliot Desnoyers made his NHL debut on Saturday, skating on the third line alongside wingers Scott Laughton and Olle Lycksell. He showed plenty of jump in the first period, making contributions in all three zones. Seven minutes into the opening frame, Desnoyers put pressure on Devils defenseman John Marino in the neutral zone to force a turnover. Desnoyers collected the puck and displayed some poise as he attempted to set up Bellows off the rush at the front of the net, but Schmid made the stop.

Desnoyers also showed a willingness to check decisively in the defensive zone. With five minutes remaining in the first period, Desnoyers knocked the puck off Hughes’ stick, allowing the Flyers to break out of their own zone. Desnoyers finished the night with two shots on goal and a team-high six hits.

“I thought he was terrific,” Tortorella said. “Usually when a young guy comes in, I don’t notice them sometimes. ... I watched him, he was involved, he banged. Certainly checked forward. Wasn’t intimidated by anything.”

After going 6-0-0 in his first nine appearance, including seven starts, this season, Ersson was tagged with his first loss, allowing seven goals on 36 shots. However, on the majority of the goals, he didn’t receive much help in front of him. On Hamilton’s goal, Ivan Provorov pushed Bastian into him, hindering his ability to stop the puck. Bratt’s goal came as a result of Hughes pulling a beautiful move to break Nick Seeler’s ankles, as Hughes found Bratt backdoor.

Later in the third period, Bastian deflected the puck past Ersson for the seventh and final goal.

“I think, obviously, they’re a very good team,” Ersson said. “We’re maybe in a little rough spot, so the goals kind of get to us a little bit too much. But I feel like [bleep] happens. It’s not fun. But we’ve got to be able to handle this adversity and battle back here the next couple games.”

The Flyers return to the Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday to take on the New York Rangers (7:30 p.m., TNT).