PHILADELPHIA – The will appears to be there but the Flyers, still recovering from a busy Friday afternoon flurry of trades, can’t find a way.
That was the image created on Sunday afternoon as the Flyers lost to the New Jersey Devils, 3-1, at the Wells Fargo Center, extending their losing streak to four games.
With only 17 games left on their schedule, the Flyers keep losing ground in the standings. And an overall record of 27-30-8 (including 15-17-1 on home ice) isn’t helping matters with their fading playoff hopes.
Goaltender Ivan Fedotov held up his share of the bargain, giving a decent effort. But the same couldn’t be said for the position players. New Jersey goaltender Jake Allen, who entered the game with a career record of 3-5-0 against the Flyers, did the honors.
A goal by the Flyers’ Jamie Drysdale at 15:14 of the third period spoiled Allen’s shutout bid.
Coach John Tortorella said there was somewhat more structure to his team’s game than the one produced in Saturday afternoon’s home loss to Seattle.
The Flyers were in this right until the end. But a penalty to defenseman Travis Sanheim with 1:30 to play pretty much spelled the end for the Flyers.
“Yeah, I just wish we had a chance there,” Tortorella said. “But we connected better, defended better. Had some action around their net but we couldn’t get to rebounds. They did a pretty good job of that.
“We played better than the last game (Saturday’s 4-1 loss to Seattle). Took a step forward anyway.”
The Devils, playing without leading player Jack Hughes (season-ending shoulder surgery) and top defenseman Dougie Hamilton, took a 1-0 lead out of the first period.
Cody Glass provided the Devils’ goal with a shot from the inner edge of the right circle. His shot eluded Ivan Fedotov at 11:10.
In the second period, a bad-break bounce led to New Jersey’s second goal. Johanthan Kovacevic’s point shot was deflected right to Erik Haula, who beat Fedotov at 5:39. With 17.8 seconds to play, the Devils added an empty-net goal.
Following the game, the players were pretty much in agreement that the effort was there but plays just couldn’t be finished.
“Just getting back to the basics was a big part of our success tonight,” Ryan Poehling said. “I think we played well for the most part, created a lot of chances. Sometimes it just doesn’t go your way. I think it’s good that we’re coming back to ourselves a little bit here.”
The Flyers are just 1-9-1 in the second half of back-to-backs and Fedotov, now 5-10-3, has had to bear the brunt of those difficult assignments.
Sean Couturier went along with Tortorella’s thinking that the Flyers are trying their best to stay competitive. They just didn’t get the breaks against the Devils.
“We had a couple chances,” Couturier said. “It was a tight game. They got their bounces. You just stick with it, I guess. Get back to work. Try to find our game. Work harder and eventually the bounces are going to turn around.”
>Slumps continue
The lengthy slumps of several Flyers leading scorers continued.
Travis Konecny has registered only one goal since a Jan. 18 game against New Jersey. Bobby Brink has one goal since Jan. 27. And Couturier has only two goals since Jan. 16. Those numbers are not exactly a formula for success.
>Short shots
Drysdale played in his 200th NHL game. . .The Flyers get back into action on Tuesday night when they play host to Claude Giroux and the Ottawa Senators. . .Defenseman Cam York returned to action after he was a healthy scratch in Saturday’s game against the Seattle Kraken. Emil Andrae, who filled in Saturday, sat this one out. . .Rookie Matvei Michkov was benched at various points during the game, particularly after the Glass goal in the first period. Tortorella said the ice time allowance was not based on just one play. “There are a number of things that come into play, not one specific play,” the coach said. “It’s not always the play on the ice that I’m trying to teach. There are so many things involved when I’m trying to develop that player.”
