Flyers must get off the canvas after knockdowns from two superior teams
They have overachieved this season, but their playoff hopes are in the balance. Coach John Tortorella doesn't want to hear about moral victories at this point.
BOSTON ― Like a certain fictional boxer from Philadelphia, the underdog Flyers have punched well above their weight all season long to reside in playoff position with just 14 games to play. But battered and bruised, both literally and figuratively, John Tortorella’s men are starting to get hit with the reality that often comes with stepping up in weight class.
On Saturday, the Flyers were on the end of a second consecutive haymaker from one of the Eastern Conference’s elite, as the Boston Bruins scored four third-period goals, including three in 2 minutes, 56 seconds early in the period, to hand the Flyers’ playoff chances another significant blow in a 6-5 decision.
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While the Flyers, like Rocky Balboa, continued to show no quit, rallying from 5-2 and 6-4 down to cut the deficit to a single goal on two occasions in the final minutes, the game marked a second straight defeat for a team that desperately needs points with the New York Islanders, Washington Capitals, and Detroit Red Wings in hot pursuit.
“We’ve got to be really careful with the moral victories here,” Tortorella said afterward. “I appreciate how hard we worked and kept on playing. You‘ve got to be really careful, we‘ve got to find a way to get points. Certainly not enough guys going consistently. Important guys, consistently. So, move by it [and] get ready for Toronto.”
The loss was the third in four games for the Flyers, who have surrendered seven goals at Tampa Bay, six at Toronto, and another six Saturday in Boston during a pivotal stretch. The schedule doesn’t let up either, as the Flyers have five games remaining of a murderous seven-game gauntlet against the conference’s five best teams in Boston, Florida, Toronto, the New York Rangers, and Carolina.
Yes, the Flyers are playing with house money competing in meaningful games in mid-March, as the team’s playoff odds entering the season were around the same as a 30-year-old loan-shark debt collector getting a heavyweight title fight against Apollo Creed at the Spectrum. Nobody dreamed this team would be competitive in Year 1 of the rebuild, but expectations have changed with the playoffs now in reach.
“This is why I’m so excited about playing these games, because the other teams are elevating,” Tortorella said at the team’s morning skate before the Bruins loss. “Especially in this little group of games, these are playoff teams. They know they’re in and they are working at their game and it’s a whole different level of where it was three months ago. That’s why I’m glad we’re in it. I’m anxious to see, can we handle that? ... I think it’s a very important time for us, but I’m thrilled that we’re in this pocket because we’re still evaluating and we’ll see where it all goes.”
The Flyers are now 0-2 to begin their final exam, both losses showing how little margin for error there can be this late in the season, especially for a team that is devoid of high-end star talent like Auston Matthews, David Pastrňák, or Artemi Panarin. Whether the Flyers scrape their way into the playoffs or not, adding players with that type of potential, à la 2023 top pick Matvei Michkov, is the next step in this organization’s “New Era of Orange.” Until then, the gap between a hardworking, close-knit Flyers team that is overachieving and the top of the Eastern Conference might as well be the Grand Canyon.
That was firmly on display Saturday, as the Flyers led twice and put together a strong first 40 minutes on the road. But a 2-2 score turned into 5-2 in a flash, with the Bruins, as good teams do, stunning the Flyers with a flurry of punches to knock the Flyers to the canvas and all but decide the fight. It was Groundhog Day for the Orange and Black, who had conceded three goals, including ones by All-Stars Matthews and William Nylander, in just over a four-minute stretch of the final frame against Toronto on Thursday.
“Giving up three [goals] there in however long it was, it’s really tough, especially against as good of a team as they are,” winger Joel Farabee said in Boston. “... Personally, I like the effort, but just definitely [stinks]. Especially going into the third period tied, so we really felt like we gave ourselves a chance to win and I feel bad for [goalie] Felix [Sandström]. We kind of left him out to dry a bit.”
While the Flyers have made significant strides this season, Saturday’s defeat again showed how far they still have to go. They are 5-10-1 against Eastern Conference teams currently in playoff position, a mark that they will need to dramatically improve on as they enter a stretch of games that will see them play the Maple Leafs, Hurricanes, Bruins, Panthers, and Rangers in the next nine days. This stretch comes with the Islanders and Capitals being just three points behind the Flyers in the Metropolitan Division with two games in hand apiece, while the Red Wings, in the second wild-card spot, are just two points back.
The Flyers have answered the bell to adversity every time it has presented itself this season, whether it be a five-game losing streak in January or absences from top players like Travis Konecny, Owen Tippett, and Carter Hart, but this feels a little different. Having lost three of four, and down three key defensemen in Jamie Drysdale, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Nick Seeler, the Flyers find their season on the ropes.
“It ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward,” Balboa once said. “That’s how winning is done!”
The Flyers will look to move forward beginning Tuesday when they host Toronto.