After trailing 2-0 in the first period, the Philadelphia Flyers came back for a shootout win against the Montreal Canadiens to move to a 21-14-6 record on the season. With newly acquired defenseman Jamie Drysdale having an impact on the victory, what were some takeaways?
Drysdale Had No Trouble Fitting in
In his debut with the Flyers, Drysdale didn’t take his time to not just record his first point, but win over his coach, as well. He got a primary assist on the power play to extend the Flyers’ goal streak on the man advantage to three games — their longest of the season. In the overtime period, he nearly came across the winner several times and was arguably the team’s best player in that span. He will still have plenty of time to adjust to the Flyers’ game, so the process won’t be seamless. However, it was a great start.
Drysdale still needs time to round out his defensive game, but he made a terrific play in overtime on the defensive side to break up a chance. The other way, he was making phenomenal passes and got several scoring chances. On more than one occasion, it seemed as though he’d contribute to the game-winning goal.
It was important for Drysdale to both have a good game and get a feel for what the Flyers are all about. Philadelphia rolled with seven defensemen, so he didn’t exactly have a consistent partner. He played a lot with Travis Sanheim on the first pair and that allowed him to switch back to his natural left-side role for a bit.
Drysdale’s addition gives the Flyers both an offensive weapon and another piece to shuffle up the lines. As long as he is able to fit in from here on out and learn the system as he goes, he will be a valuable player.
Flyers Were the Better Team
Shots aren’t always the best way to tell which team was better in a hockey game, but the 39-19 advantage for Philadelphia is definitely telling. Not only did they have more shots, but they had the better of the chances, too. After falling down 2-0, it was a great effort for them to come back. They were the better team from the time the puck dropped until the shootout.
Though Montreal isn’t necessarily the best team in the league based on both roster talent and actual play, it was important for the Flyers to outplay them. A win like that can genuinely spark something in a team, and that’s needed with the team entering a road trip. With some tough teams on the schedule, it is essential to have some confidence entering a stretch like that. It hasn’t been all season where the Flyers have been atop their game, but they were in this one, and that guided them to a victory that they desperately needed to stay in a playoff position.
Ersson Bounced Back
After a shaky first period that saw Sam Ersson allow goals on the only two shots he faced, he was flawless. Despite the numerous breakaways he had against him, he was solid as a rock when he had to. The final save count of just 17 on 19 shots doesn’t look good for him, but he was a big reason why the Flyers got the win.
It’s never easy for a goaltender to play in a game where they don’t face a lot of shots, especially when that is a game where they gave up goals on each of their first two. He can’t be blamed for either of them as a deflection and an unfortunate bounce got past him, but he takes the hit on those in the stats department. Almost like nothing happened, he got his head in the match and made several huge stops that he had no business making.
The Flyers need to play better for their goaltender, but if they can get away with it as frequently as they do, maybe there’s nothing to change. Ersson has been the king of breakaway stops this season, and that much stayed consistent in this contest. If anyone should get treated for their next night out, it should be him. He has come up clutch time and time again consistently.
Flyers Continue to Stay Above Water
The Flyers haven’t had the most impressive stretch in their last few games, and that was further proven by a loss in their last game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Needing at least a point to guarantee they stay in a playoff spot before their next contest, they did so in dramatic fashion. Instead of falling below that playoff line, they are still in a favorable spot.
Now halfway through the NHL season, it’s pretty much a fact that their fast start to the season was not a fluke if they’ve been able to keep the act up for this long. As long as they keep having one-goal games, they’ll win around half of them — this increases their floor.
The good news for the Flyers is that things can go in the right direction just as fast as they can start to go south. If they aren’t trading wins and losses, they could have a stretch that could put them in a terrific position to try and make the playoffs. It’s a little early for that as there are still 41 games to go, but it always has to be in the back of the Flyers’ mind. They look poised to make them, but they can’t get cocky and have their play slip.
Related: Flyers’ 2023-24 Success Sustainable But Shouldn’t Change Rebuild
As mentioned before, the Flyers are heading on a three-game road trip following their four-game homestand. First, they’ll take on the Minnesota Wild who have not played well at all recently. Coming off a 7-2 loss to the Dallas Stars, they’re a vulnerable yet potentially hungry team. The Flyers won their first matchup against them and are looking to sweep the season series.