PHILADELPHIA – The Columbus Blue Jackets had something to play for.
The Flyers didn’t.
That situation might have had a big impact on Tuesday night’s home season finale for the Flyers.
Columbus kept its slim playoff hopes alive with a 3-0 victory at the Wells Fargo Center.
Meanwhile, the Flyers were just playing out the string. They finished the season with a 20-20-1 mark on home ice, a place where they’re supposed to have some kind of an advantage.
Goaltender Sam Ersson was the tough luck loser.
Jet Greaves picked up the win in goal for Columbus.
Flyers captain Sean Couturier said the Flyers may have gotten away from their physical game at times and that’s a formula for failure.
“I think we were trying to play a little too skill,” he said. “We were a lot of one and dones. There wasn’t much traffic (in front of the net). We were on the outside and everyone was trying to make plays. Sometimes we just have to simplify it and get some dirty goals. We can’t always just make highlight-reel goals.”
The Flyers had played a grittier style of game in running up a 5-1-1 record in their first seven games under interim coach Brad Shaw. This effort had a more of an Ice Capades look to it.
“I didn’t think we had the ability to stay with it,” Shaw said. “I thought they sort of pulled away the second half of the game as far as – I thought they played better without the puck.”
Did he agree with Couturier that the Flyers played too much of a perimeter game?
“I would say from a traffic point of view we certainly didn’t get in front of Greaves often enough,” Shaw said. “He’s not a big goalie. Much as you talk about it, sometimes it’s hard to get there. I thought we were a little easier to play against than we had been.”
Columbus defenseman Dante Fabbro opened the scoring at 2:32 of the second period when his blast from the top of the right circle found its way past Ersson.
Later, with Columbus on the power play, Kent Johnson made it 2-0 at 17:01 with a nice conversion in front.
Adam Fantilli scored in the third period to provide a three-goal margin. Ex-Flyer Ivan Provorov had an assist on the play.
A scoreless first period so both sides get some decent scoring chances but both Ersson and Greaves were up to any challenges.
>Brink most improved
Bobby Brink won the Pelle Lindbergh Memorial Trophy for most improved player this season. What did he do better?
“We saw him improve hugely on the defensive side of the puck,” Couturier said. “How he’s responsible making right decisions. I think it just shows the growth in his game and the maturity he’s starting to have. It’s nice to see.”
Added Shaw: “I think his ability to win pucks, his ability to stay relentless on pucks. If his first effort didn’t win it, sometimes it was the second, third or fourth would get it. I think he had a great awareness of the game. I think he learned this year, the better you check, the more you have the puck.
Brink knows there’s still work to be done but he appears to be headed on the right track.
“I think I made some strides this year,” he said. “It’s nice of my teammates to recognize it.”
Biggest improvements?
“Maybe just habits, playing away from the puck,” he said. “Checking-wise, that’s probably where I made my biggest strides.”
>Short shots
The Flyers complete their season on Thursday at Buffalo. The team will clear out their lockers on Friday and Saturday. There will be exit interviews with coaches and management both days. General manager Daniel Briere is scheduled to provide end-of-season comments on Saturday.
Philadelphia entered the second-to-last game of the season leading the NHL in blocked shots with 1,418. . .Travis Konecny began the night with 11 goals/17 points in his last 12 games vs. Columbus.
Ex-Flyer James van Riemsdyk continues his NHL career with the Blue Jackets, now with his fourth team (Toronto, Boston, Columbus the others). He’s having a decent season with 16 goals/35 points. He started on a second line for Columbus on Tuesday night.
Small steps: The Flyers are finally to end their streak of finishing last (32nd in the NHL) on the power play for the past three seasons. Philly will end the season in 30th place and did improve to over 14 percent with one game to play.
