Flyers Fan Reaction (FFR4) Gm 78: PIT 1, PHI 4 – Cates-ered
You can also think of it as “Catered” if you that flows better to you. The Philadelphia Flyers WIN, 4-1, over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Flyers’ penultimate home game of 2021-22 went about as well as their second home game, only this one had the added bonus of coming against a divisional rival. Noah Cates and Martin Jones led the way for the Flyers; the former recorded his first career multi-goal game, the latter stopped 30 of 31 shots in the winning effort. It was a good all-around performance from the Flyers, one that couldn’t help me think of this Tweet.
It’s been no secret which side of that meter the 2021-22 Flyers have leaned towards. From injuries to star players to massive losing streaks to selling at the deadline, this season has been a massive disappointment. The Flyers are nowhere near the playoff picture. They haven’t been since early January. The last four months have had so little for fans to get excited about. Sure, infusing some of the kids has helped a little bit with that. But only a very little bit, as the attendance at the Wells Fargo Center and general fan sentiment on Twitter has showed.
Sunday, however, offered fans a chance to swing back towards the cocky category, if only briefly. And to be clear, it’s not like they should be doing that. The team is not only finishing an incredibly terrible season, but has a very murky future. Sure, they beat the Penguins today, but it’s Pittsburgh whose season will continue into the playoffs, just as it has every year since 2007. Since the Flyers beat the Penguins in the first round of the 2012 playoffs, the Penguins have ten playoff trips (unless you don’t count them being losing in the qualifier round in the bubble to the Canadiens, but they were the No. 5 seed and were all but a lock to make the round of 16 before the season was shut down). Meanwhile, the entire city of Philadelphia has thirteen. Combined.
But you would think it was the Flyers who were the perennial contenders based solely off Sunday’s contest. Philadelphia dominated the first and third periods, peppering Pittsburgh’s Louis Domingue with 43 shots (technically 42, since one was an empty-net goal). Sure, the game didn’t exactly get off to a riveting start. But the Flyers made some nice plays with the puck to create some chances, and either out-muscled or just simply evaded the Penguins for all three of their goals on a tended net. Each of them came within just a couple of feet of the net, a welcome development for a Flyers team not getting to the high-danger areas enough before filling Montréal’s net six times on Thursday.
The Flyers will probably find themselves back on the distraught side sooner rather than later. It could be as soon as tomorrow. It won’t be more than week or so when the team is conducting exit interviews and wondering what could have been. But they gave the fans who did flock out to the Wells Fargo Center a reason to feel the former — and that maybe they could get a little bit more used it to that feeling next season.
Lindies
Of course, there are always reasons to be distraught with the 2021-22 Flyers. Mike Yeo announced of the team’s injured players, all of them are officially out for the rest of the season except for Nick Seeler, who Yeo called “a long shot.” So no more Carter Hart, Cam Atkinson, Cam York, Rasmus Ristolainen, Patrick Brown, or Kevin Connauton this year. Brown and Connauton, pending UFAs, have likely played their final games as Flyers.
Sunday marks Morgan Frost’s second multi-point NHL game, and first since his second NHL game on Nov. 21, 2019 at Carolina. It’s also the first time he’s scored in consecutive games since his first two NHL games. Great to see him gain some offensive confidence down the stretch and continuing to drive to the net. Both of his goals in his last two games have come from at or just outside of the blue-paint. He also had three hits in the contest.
Really good article by Charlie O’Connor on The Athletic about Owen Tippett’s quest to improve his once great finishing ability. Tippett had a few great chances on Sunday, but again couldn’t bury any of them, although did one produce an assist. But as Charlie writes, unlocking Tippett’s once highly touted goal-scoring prowess is key to his development — and the Flyers’ future. Kevin Kurz also wrote what I’m sure is a great piece as well about Claude Giroux’s seamless transition to the Panthers, but I’m still too heartbroken to read it.
POG Starter Jacket Standings!
Starter, Joner – 3
Unknown, Honey Badger, G, Hollywood – 2
Sander/Sanner/Sandra/Sanny, Gobs, Risto, Coots, Mayhewooligans, Sergeant, Big Mac, Hodgson, Connauton, The Hög, N. Catesey – 1
3 Stars
3rd: Morgan Frost (PHI) – Goal (5), Assist (10), 3 Shots, 3 Hits
2nd: Martin Jones (PHI) – .974 SV% (30 Saves/31 Shots), 1 GA on 2.6 Expected GA (All Situations)
1st: Noah Cates (PHI) – 2 Goals (4, 5), Assist (4), 6 Shots
Next
PIT: 4/26, 7 PM vs. EDM (46-27-6, L1)
PHI: 4/25, 8 PM @ CHI (26-42-11, L2)
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