Flyers' comeback bid comes up short in loss to NHL's top team originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Flyers couldn’t take down the best team in the NHL as they lost to the Avalanche, 3-2, Sunday afternoon at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Rick Tocchet’s club fell into a 3-1 deficit early in the second period. Travis Konecny made it a one-goal game a little over four minutes later.
The Flyers had some opportunities in the third period to draw even, but they were unable to take advantage (more on that below).
Sean Couturier also found the back of the net for the Flyers (15-9-3).
“We believed in our chances to win this game,” Couturier said. “But it just felt at times we maybe gave them a little too much respect, we watched them a little bit. But overall, we competed hard, we were right there until the end.”
Colorado still owns just two regulation losses. The Avalanche (21-2-6) came in leading the NHL with 4.00 goals per game, while also allowing the fewest at 2.18.
“Some people use games as measuring sticks and I think we don’t need to do that anymore,” Konecny said. “We’ve shown we can compete with the best teams, so why not start believing that we should be right there with them.”
If there was ever a good time to face Colorado, this might have been it for the Flyers. The Avalanche were playing their second game of a back-to-back set and third game in four days, all on the road.
The Flyers, on the other hand, were coming off three days of no games or travel. But it didn’t make a difference.
“I thought we played a pretty good game,” Tocchet said. “I thought a lot of guys tried hard. We’ve just got to tighten up the turnovers and we need some of our players to make some plays under pressure — that’s really what it comes down to.”
• The Flyers went back to Samuel Ersson after the 26-year-old played well in a 5-2 win Wednesday night over the Sabres.
Ersson converted 25 saves on 28 shots against high-powered Colorado. He made a huge stop on a Victor Olofsson breakaway in the second period to keep the Flyers down only 3-2.
You could certainly argue the Flyers should have played a rested Dan Vladar against the best team in the NHL. But it’s not like Ersson played poorly Sunday. He gave the Flyers a solid chance.
Mackenzie Blackwood was in net for both games of the Avalanche’s back-to-back set. He beat the Flyers with 24 saves on 26 shots after taking down the Rangers, 3-2, in overtime Saturday afternoon at Madison Square Garden.
Trailing 3-2 to open the third period, the Flyers had 1:52 minutes of a power play, but they failed to capitalize.
A little over two minutes later, Trevor Zegras had a penalty shot after being held by Nathan MacKinnon on a breakaway. With a career 68 percent success rate in shootout attempts (17 for 25), Zegras was denied by Blackwood.
• The Flyers’ defensive depth was really tested without Cam York. The 24-year-old missed the game because of an upper-body injury.
The third defensive pair of Egor Zamula and Noah Juulsen was on the ice for two of Colorado’s goals. Juulsen also committed a tripping penalty that led to the Avalanche’s go-ahead 2-1 power play goal with 52 seconds left in the first period.
Zamula started losing some shifts in the second period and finished with 14:03 minutes. Juulsen played just 10:11.
“They’re scratching and clawing,” Tocchet said. “That’s what you’ve got to get from them, they’re trying.”
Three days after participating in the team’s morning skate, Rasmus Ristolainen joined the Flyers for practice Saturday. He remained in a non-contact jersey, but the 31-year-old defenseman appears to be getting closer to his season debut, which could come at some point this month.
Ristolainen has been recovering from surgery in March on a second triceps tendon rupture.
• Couturier had a special start to his 33rd birthday and 900th career game.
He redirected a Juulsen shot for the game-opening goal just 2:09 minutes into the action.
“It’s just great to see him play 900, he has been through a lot in his career,” Konecny said. “He has always just put his head down and gone to work, led by example. He’s a guy that you can say he doesn’t really care about that goal; he’ll care about if we won or lost the game, and that speaks to why he’s our captain.”
Couturier is the city’s longest-tenured athlete, a run that goes back to October 2011.
• The Flyers are back in action Tuesday when they host the Sharks (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
