Flyers Fans Entertained But Settle For Shootout Loss Vs. The Canucks

One week after the Philadelphia Flyers closed out their preseason, the club opened its 2021-22 NHL campaign with a 5-4 shootout loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Friday night at Wells Fargo Center.

After the Flyers spent the summer re-tooling their roster, the game was a bit of a mixed bag for fans. There were reasons to celebrate and also moments of concern.

This group is going to take more than one game to figure out. Here’s a look at the early indicators.

A Brilliant Start

With the home barn filled to near capacity with an announced attendance of 19,338, fans greeted the team enthusiastically through player introductions. They offered their support to injured center Kevin Hayes, who’s recovering from abdominal surgery as well as grieving the passing of his older brother, Jimmy. They also gave a loud ovation to goaltender Carter Hart, eager for a clean slate after a sub-par 2020-21 campaign.

In the first period, the well-rested Flyers dominated. They outshot the Canucks 14-5, playing keep away thanks to their aggressive forecheck. Barely four minutes in, Tyler Myers took a tripping penalty on Travis Konecny. Philadelphia applied good pressure on the ensuing power play, then Joel Farabee connected for his first of the year, three seconds after the Canucks returned to full strength.

Fire away, Philly Joel. #BringItToBroad | @CocaCola pic.twitter.com/Qbuekx3vba

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) October 15, 2021

Digging A Penalty Hole

The Flyers couldn’t maintain that early momentum in the second period. They were outscored 4-1 in the middle frame and took four minor penalties. Vancouver rookie Vasily Podkolzin got his team on the board with his first career NHL goal at 2:36 of the middle frame. The Canucks then took the lead off a power-play goal by Elias Pettersson, then a 5-on-3 marker by power-play specialist Alex Chiasson, who signed a one-year contract with the Canucks after joining training camp on a professional tryout.

J.T. Miller made it 4-2 when he nudged the puck home after Hart lost track of a Pettersson shot from near the goal line, which sat unprotected behind his skate.

Never give up on the play, good things might happen 👊 pic.twitter.com/0y0vBurXPy

— Vancouver #Canucks (@Canucks) October 16, 2021

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The Goaltending Question

Hart’s second period was shaky, with four goals surrendered on 13 shots. But he was solid the rest of the way, including six stops in a frantic overtime session, before the Canucks outscored the Flyers 2-0 in the shootout to secure the win.

“A few unlucky bounces, that’s the way the game goes,” said Hart after the game.

On the Miller goal, “That puck just kind of bounced back pretty quick,” he said. “Didn’t have enough time to move my leg out of the way and it just goes off of my skate and in.

“That’s the game of hockey. You’re going to get a lot of bounces that don’t go your way. We stuck with it and got a couple bounces to go our way at the end.”

Coach Alain Vigneault was nonplussed.

“You take those two unfortunate breaks, and his game was pretty good,” he said about Hart after the game. “His game was excellent. Three-on-three, he gave us a chance. That’s what you want from your goalie.”

The Comeback

The Canucks are opening their season on a grueling six-game road trip. Friday’s contest in Philadelphia was the first game of a back-to-back that will see them face the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night. So, with a 4-2 lead going into the third period, Vancouver went into a defensive shell. The focus was on taking short shifts and not over-taxing players, in an effort to keep everyone as fresh as possible in Detroit.

For most of the period, the Flyers couldn’t get much going. But when Oliver Ekman-Larsson took a slashing penalty when his stick got up on Travis Konecny with 2:24 left to play in regulation, they pounced.

Konecny was the victim of the slash. And just seven seconds into the power play, with Hart pulled for a 6-on-4 advantage, he picked up his first goal of the season while buzzing down low.

need one more. need one more. #VANvsPHI | @CocaCola pic.twitter.com/GdqNUihlVT

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) October 16, 2021

That brought the crowd back into the game. And amidst the din in Wells Fargo, captain Claude Giroux forced overtime with 72 seconds left on the regulation clock.

G sends us to OT!!!#BringItToBroad | @28CGiroux pic.twitter.com/VcClx8Bg5q

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) October 16, 2021

On this night, that would be the last of the scoring for the home team.

The New Guys

By game’s end, Cam Atkinson had scored his first goal as a Flyer. He also made a tremendous impression with fans as his 87-year-old grandmother, Marge, rode on the Zamboni while the ice was being resurfaced.

Grandma Marge wasn't going to miss @CamAtkinson89's first game in Philly. 🧡🖤 pic.twitter.com/BUnreFkn1E

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) October 16, 2021

Defensemen Keith Yandle and Ryan Ellis also showed up on the scoresheet, with two assists each.

After being away from the main group for more than a week, Rasmus Ristolainen did not suit up on Friday. He remains sidelined with an upper-body injury, but has been skating with other injured players at the Flyers Training Center in recent days. Looking dapper in his suit, the big Finn was introduced along with Hayes during the opening-night ceremony.

The Rest Of The Story

Thought the Flyers picked up two depth forwards on waivers this week, neither was in the lineup on Friday night.

Patrick Brown was forced into Covid protocols and Zack MacEwen awaited his U.S. work visa paperwork approval. So, Max Willman was called up from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms to fill the open spot on the fourth-line wing. Playing in his first career NHL game, 26-year-old Willman finished the night with two shot attempts, one hit, and one minor penalty in 9:30 of ice time.

After Sean Couturier and Claude Giroux were unable to beat Thatcher Demko in the shootout, the Flyers banked a single point from their home opener. They’ll now start preparing to face coach Dave Hakstol and the Seattle Kraken in Game 2 on Monday.