Competing against a last-place team, it’s not a good idea to let your guard down even for a few minutes.
The Flyers were painfully reminded of this on Thursday night.
They led the Atlantic Division cellar-dwelling Buffalo Sabres and had a 2-1 edge going into the final stages of the second period.
Then the Flyers momentarily lost their concentration, the Sabres scored twice to retake the lead and went on to hand the Flyers a 5-3 loss at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. The Sabres have won a season-high four straight games.
The game neared an end with the Flyers only down 4-3 and having a six-on-four advantage due to a Buffalo penalty, plus pulling their goalie. The Flyers couldn’t get the tying goal and the Sabres scored into an empty net to decide the verdict.
After coming back from a 1-0 deficit to take a 2-1 lead in the second, the Flyers couldn’t stay focused.
First, a goal by Cam York, courtesy of a Trevor Zegras assist, put the Flyers in front at 11:01. York’s shot eluded Alex Lyon, a former goaltender for Philadelphia.
Then the Flyers appeared to be in control after that, at least until the Sabres suddenly came alive as the period was drawing to a close.
A Travis Sanheim turnover led to a goal by Tage Thompson at 16:54. Following that, Noah Ostlund’s seeing-eye shot made its way past goaltender Sam Ersson with 29.8 seconds left in the period to give Buffalo a 3-2 lead.
As is their habit, the Flyers let an opponent score first. The Sabres’ Jack Quinn tipped in a point shot past Ersson at 7:40 of the first.
But as is also their habit, the Flyers came right back and picked up a goal from Noah Cates just 58 seconds later. Bobby Brink was the triggerman from the left circle as Cates buried a shot past Lyon.
In a televised interview, coach Rick Tocchet said he liked how his team was playing in the first period. The Flyers held a 12-4 shot advantage in the opening 20 minutes.
“We’re playing north,” Tocchet observed. “We’re getting a lot of shots. I like our game right now. We continue to keep pressing, getting people to the net.”
That good vibe turned out to be short-lived.
According to ESPN, the Flyers held an 11-2 in scoring chances for the first 20 minutes.
In the third period, Josh Norris scored at 10:20 for a 4-2 lead. Travis Konecny got one back at 14:28 but that’s as close as the Flyers would get.
>Zamula put on waivers
Defenseman Egor Zamula was placed on waivers by the Flyers on Thursday.
The move was created by the return of defensemen Rasmus Ristolainen and York from the injury list.
Zamula, 25, was signed as a free agent by the Flyers, played three years of junior hockey and made his NHL debut on April 27, 2021 in a game against the New Jersey Devils.
The 6-foot-3, 185-pound native of Chelyabinsk, Russia has played 168 career games for the Flyers, recording eight goals/41 points.
>Ristolainen playing time
After sitting out for nearly nine months, Ristolainen made his return a successful one in Tuesday night’s 4-1 win at Montreal.
Originally Tocchet said he was going to keep an eye on Ristolainen’s playing time and didn’t want it going over 20 minutes. But it did hit 19.
“I think you have to keep an eye on it,” Tocchet said. “On the bench he said he felt really good. A couple times we were going to back him off but he wanted (to get back in). I think at the end he was getting a little tired. You do have to manage it, definitely.”
>Balanced scoring
The three lines each recorded a goal in the Montreal game, this after Tocchet moved Matvei Michkov onto a line with Cates and Bobby Brink. Carl Grundstrom, recently promoted from Lehigh Valley, played on a line with Sean Couturier and Owen Tippett.
“We’re a balanced team,” Tocchet said. “We got to use the bench, that’s how we’re built. I really like the way our ‘D’ started to shape up. That’s what we’re looking for, balance everywhere.”
The new Cates alignment seemed to work.
“I just wanted to switch,” Tocchet said. “Get a little juice going. It was just a subtle change, two guys switch.”
>Juulsen patient
Besides Zamura, veteran defenseman Noah Juulsen also has been pushed off the starting six after holding down a spot for much of the first third of the season.
According to Tocchet, Juulsen has been handling the situation like a pro.
“I had him in Vancouver, he knows the deal,” Tocchet said. “He’ll be ready when his number is called. He’s a popular guy in the room. That’s the culture that we’re building here.
“Some of the guys who aren’t playing that much, they’re the first guys cheering the other guys on. So that’s how you build culture and Noah is one of those guys that does that.”
>Short shots
The Flyers finish up the road trip with an afternoon game on Saturday against the New York Rangers, who have struggled badly on their home ice at Madison Square Garden. They’ve been shut out in NYC six times already. . .Buffalo’s Thompson increased his goal-scoring streak to five games. . .Zegras has four goals/eight points in his last six games. . .Entering the game, Ersson had a career record of 4-1 vs. the Sabres.
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