The home team Philadelphia hockey club won at the Spectrum in tonight's contest. Unfortunately, the home team in the Spectrum is the Philadelphia Phantoms, which means the Philadelphia Flyers lost their final game at the Spectrum to their minor league affiliate. The Phantoms beat the Flyers 4-2 in a game that can be more described as an exhibition than an actual contest.Exhibition or not, the Flyers should be embarrassed to lose a game to a bunch of minor league veterans and rookies. And, hockey's not like other sports where the back-ups play most of the game. The Flyers back-ups all play for the Phantoms, so the starters got beat by the back-ups.
The most interesting thing about the game was Antero Niitymaki making his return to the ice and playing for the Phantoms. Niity played the whole game and stopped 28 of 30 shots. Martin Biron played 2 periods for the Flyers and stopped 21 of 22 shots while J.S. Aubin played the 3rd period and let in 2 goals. Perhaps this means Nittymaki is already set to return and Aubin can be sent down, or sent away.
Not a great way to end the preseason. Let's chalk it up to the young guys being hungrier and wanting it more and move on to the regular season.
Click here for the game scoresheet.
I'd say but I'm still a little ishish with Nitty coming off a surgery, for he has been inj-prone. However, this will show that the Flyers have great depth not just in the NHL but the AHL so is it really an embarrassment at all?
ReplyDeletePeople don't realize the level of the AHL. The game was an exhibition, but the Phantoms are talented. The best AHL teams (which the Phantoms are among) could certainly hold their own consistently against at least some of the lower rung NHL teams.
ReplyDeleteI guess I would say it's not an organizational embarrassment but more of an embarrassment to the players themselves. They shouldn't feel good about losing to a minor league team, regardless of how good they may be.
ReplyDeleteTo the second anonymous, are you implying that the Flyers are a lower rung NHL team??
BTW, this was the third contest all-time between the Phantoms and the Flyers.
ReplyDeleteThe Phantoms lead the series, 2-1.
Flyers weren't trying real hard to win this meaningless pre-season game, but trying to avoid injuries. The real season starts Saturday vs NYR. Don't try and read too much into last nights game, please! Go Flyers!
ReplyDeleteThere was no hitting and barely and big shots taken, so I understand how the Flyers played the game. Still, just based on basic skill, playing the game like a typical All Star game, the Flyers SHOULD have won!
ReplyDeletei would agree the flyers are among the lower rung NHL teams. they finished last in the league 2 yrs ago and barely made the playoffs last year. they made a great charge to the east finals however if you look at the matchups, it wasnt until they met someone within the division did they start to play like the flyers i know.
ReplyDeleteThe Flyers play a very physical style of hockey... good forechecking down low, hard hitting defense. They win by wearing the other team down with hard hits and physical play. Obviously they weren't able to do that tonight, and they were taken out of their comfort zone. Had this been a real game, I think the Flyers would have won easy. They should be ready on Saturday when the gloves come off against the Rangers.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I did see is that even in exhibition play, Riley Cote still was skating around looking for people to demolish, even though it was lightly.
The Flyers are definitely NOT in the lower rung in the NHL. Yes, they barely made the playoffs last year but they made it despite a double digit losing streak during the season. They proved in the playoffs that they can play with anyone but ran out of gas and had too many injuries when they ran up against Pittsburgh. A "bottom rung" team implies playoffs aren't even an option. The Flyers are way too talented to be considered at that level.
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