BUFFALO, N.Y. — The 2021-22 Flyers and leads are just like oil and water. They simply don’t mix.
After scoring the first two goals of the game in the first period against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night at KeyBank Center, the Flyers gave up four goals in the second period and ultimately fell, 4-3. Although the Flyers didn’t win the puck possession battle in the first period and still managed to score, they weren’t able to sustain any momentum in the second period.
The Flyers attempted a resurgence in the third period, outshooting the Sabres, 10-2. Additionally, the Flyers drew three minor penalties in the third period alone. However, the Flyers went 0 for 4 on the power play through 60 minutes and were ultimately unsuccessful at clawing their way back to a win.
Pitiful play in the second period
The Flyers held a 2-0 lead going into the second period thanks to goals from wingers Joel Farabee and Owen Tippett. However, the Flyers must not have come out of the locker room with the same focus as the first period, as a wildly disjointed team played on their heels for 20 minutes and allowed four Sabres goals from Kyle Okposo, Rasmus Dahlin, Vinnie Hinostroza, and Tage Thompson. The Flyers were outshot, 18-4, in the second period alone.
When the game was tied, 2-2, 14 minutes into the second period, the Flyers were opportunistic as winger Travis Konecny scored off the rush to regain the lead. However, just a minute and a half later, the Flyers resumed playing on their heels and allowed Hinostroza and the Sabres to tie the game again. The Sabres emerged with a 4-3 lead at the end of the second period. This season, the Flyers have been badly outscored during all second periods, 94-66.
Up-and-down penalty kill
Going into their game against the Sabres, the Flyers’ penalty kill had been trending in the right direction since the beginning of the month, ranking 13th in the league with a 87.5% success rate. That marked a substantial improvement over their season-long rate, where they have ranked 23rd in the league (76.33%).
However, the Sabres’ 18th-ranked power play sought to take advantage of the Flyers penalty kill when the Flyers put them on the man-advantage three times in the first two periods alone. Two of the Sabres’ four goals in the second period came on the power play: an Okposo goal down low by the post and a Thompson tally from the left dot. However, the Flyers regrouped in the third period, not allowing a single shot on goal on a Sabres power play. In total, the Sabres capitalized on two of their four power play opportunities.
On the Brink of something special
In his first three games with the Flyers, winger Bobby Brink has shown why he was a Hobey Baker Award finalist and a 2022 national champion with Denver. His offensive talents helped get the Flyers on the board in the first period. Less than two minutes after puck drop, Brink finessed a breakaway in transition, attempting to shoot the puck between goalie Craig Anderson’s skate and the right post. While Brink was unsuccessful, Farabee crashed the net behind him and scored on the rebound to put the Flyers up, 1-0.
While the Flyers’ power play hasn’t been very formidable, ranking last in the league since March 1 (9.5%), Brink continued to look sharp in his role on the flank. At the end of the Flyers’ lone power play in the first period, Brink entered the offensive zone with control — an area where the Flyers have struggled — and registered the only shot on goal of the man-advantage. Brink finished the night with an assist, two shots on goal, and 17:30 minutes of ice time.
What’s next
The Flyers return home to the Wells Fargo Center on Sunday for the second night of a back-to-back against the Sabres at 5 p.m.
