A good first period evolved into a disheartening loss for the Flyers. They remain third in the Metro Division; however, it is now March, and every point counts toward securing a playoff spot.
The Second Period: The Wheels Fell Clean Off
It was quite unfortunate that the game got away from the Flyers this period. They played a solid first 20 minutes, outshooting the Capitals 11-5. Brink scored the second goal off a massive rebound just 1:52 into the game. Then, at 18:23, Owen Tippett scored on the power play with a wrist shot. It felt as though the Flyers were going into the second period calm, cool, and collected.
In the second period, however, chaos ensued. They were outscored 3-0 and outshot 9-5. It all started when Alex Ovechkin scored right off the face-off with a snapshot 4:34 into the period. Then, Sonny Milano scored with a wrist shot at 9:55. It was the result of the Flyers losing puck battles on the boards.
To top off the period, Head Coach John Tortorella appeared to be upset with forward Bobby Brink’s effort on the third goal by Capitals forward John Carlson. Carlson was able to easily score a brutal wrap-around goal on Ersson, putting the Capitals up by one. The entire Flyers’ forward and defense shifted to the left, including Olle Lycksell, leaving Ersson’s right side vulnerable. As a result, Brink and Lycksell were benched for the third period.
At Least We Got Some Physicality
Former teammates Garnet Hathaway and Tom Wilson wrestled each other to the ice before play resumed. They both received double minors for interference and roughing. This heavyweight matchup was not expected, as the two were teammates from 2019 to 2023.
There was a time just one or two seasons ago when the Flyers struggled to ignite any passion or anger in games like these. So, all things considered, the reaction of Hathaway is a positive.
Additionally, the Flyers registered 30 hits against the Capitals’ 29. However, it just didn’t come through during the second and third periods like it usually does.
A Milestone Was Reached
Morgan Frost hit 100 career points tonight with his two assists. This comes after he registered two assists against Tampa Bay on Tuesday. Frost has struggled with inconsistency throughout his time with the Flyers organization. However, it has become apparent by his efforts that he is working to become an important piece in the Flyers’ rebuild. He has 31 points in 50 games played. Breaking that down, that’s 9 goals and 22 assists. Compare that to his total last year of 46 points in 81 games played, he is showing a positive trend in his offensive impact. Additionally, Frost has totaled nine points on the power play, two of them goals. Last season, he only had five points on the power play, and only one of those points was a goal.
The Flyers look to quickly shake off the bad loss on Saturday against Ottawa at the Wells Fargo Center at 7 p.m.
