PHILADELPHIA: What a difference 72-hours can make, not in a good way.
Friday night in Denver, the Flyers were celebrating a massive 7-3 win over the NHL best Colorado Avalanche. Tonight, the Flyers were blown out 4-0 for their fifth straight loss on home ice.
With much of the city still buried after a massive snowstorm on Sunday, the Flyers couldn’t dig themselves out of a massive hole created by their sloppy play. Something that has become a habit of late at home.
Since beating the Anaheim Ducks, 5-2, on January 6th, the Flyers have been outscored 24 to 7 on home ice.
The Flyers used a week away from home on their latest road trip to what they thought was righting the ship. Being able to beat two of the best in the Western Conference, Vegas and Colorado, and come back with five of six points.
Tonight, however, nothing they did right on the road translated back to home ice.
The Islanders scored a goal from all strengths tonight. Two coming at even strength and one on both advantage, power-play and shorthanded.
It was the seventh time in the their last eight games the Flyers have allowed a power-play goal.
Ilya Sorokin, who has become the Islanders version of Sergei Bobrovsky, continues to haunt the Flyers. Sorokin didn’t have to do much tonight to improve to 12-3-3 in his career vs the Flyers.
The Flyers fired just 21 shots at the Islanders net-minder. Only five shots came during the third period where it looked like the Flyers just packed it in.
Samuel Ersson didn’t get much help defensively in-front of him, especially on special teams.
Jamie Drysdale and Emil Andrae lack of awareness both caused goals on special teams. Drysdale’s resulting in a short handed goal and Andrae’s resulting in a power-play goal.
Ersson finished with just 19 saves.
The Flyers head back on to the road to start a back to back Wednesday night in Columbus at 7:30pm.