‘Didn’t like much about it at all’ — Flyers have uninspiring performance in bad loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Flyers took a step backward Thursday night with a flat performance in front of their fans.
They stumbled to the Blackhawks, 4-1, at the Wells Fargo Center.
Morgan Frost scored the Flyers’ lone goal. Chicago came to Philadelphia allowing 3.69 goals per game and with a 3-11-2 road record.
The Flyers (19-20-7), coming off of an 8-2-0 stretch over their previous 10 games, just didn’t have it in any facet.
They went 0 for 2 on the power play and were leaky defensively. They were finished off by an empty-net goal in the final minute.
“I just thought we looked flat and disjointed,” Flyers head coach John Tortorella said. “I don’t think we played with enough energy. You could tell right from the start of the game, right on through, it was one of those games.
“I didn’t like much about it at all.”
The Blackhawks (13-26-4) entered in a tie with the Blue Jackets for the NHL’s fewest points (28). The Flyers don’t see them again until their regular-season finale April 13 in Chicago.
• Just a bad loss for Tortorella’s team. It was an uninspiring game from it at home. It should be even more frustrating for the Flyers considering how much progress they had made since the NHL-mandated holiday break.
They had a golden chance at their 20th win and came up empty.
“To be honest, I think they just outworked us,” Frost said. “Clearly we lacked some energy there. I don’t know what the cause of that is, but they just played harder. I don’t think we really deserved to win tonight.
“We’ve been getting a ton of rest. Can’t really use that as an excuse.”
• After the NHL-best Bruins sent him to the bench Monday during the second period, Carter Hart was back in net against the rebuilding Blackhawks.
The 24-year-old wasn’t particularly sharp, allowing some decent-sized rebounds. The Flyers also looked much more open defensively. At times, they were caught watching instead of pressuring.
“We got up early, but we didn’t play the right way,” Zack MacEwen said. “We gave them a chance to get back in it.”
Hart made 25 saves on 28 shots.
He surrendered an ill-timed goal to Tyler Johnson just 35 seconds into the third period, which put the Flyers in a 3-1 hole. Patrick Kane assisted the marker by creating a big rebound as Hart made the first save.
In the span of six minutes during the second period, Chicago turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 advantage.
The Blackhawks cracked Hart on a really skillful redirection by Jonathan Toews before Reese Johnson put them in front.
“I think it’s the mental tiredness that we have to fight,” Tortorella said. “I think that’s the first thing that goes. I thought we were flat mentally. We weren’t quick. They checked going forward. We just weren’t anticipating.
“We’re not going to skate tomorrow. We’ve got to figure out some way to get energy because we just don’t have a break right until the end of this upcoming six, seven, eight days.
“Part of the game. We’ve got to figure it out and get ready for our next game.”
Chicago netminder Petr Mrazek, a former brief Flyer, stopped 38 of 39 shots.
• Frost’s goal wasn’t as highlight-reel worthy as his through-the-legs marker Tuesday.
But it was another in which Frost had his skill on display. He carried the puck through the neutral zone and kept it on his stick until he fired it top corner past Mrazek’s glove.
The goal gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead at first intermission. The 23-year-old center has been much more consistent offensively with 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) over the last 18 games.
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• Scott Laughton, who entered with 20 points in the past 20 games, had an injury scare near the end of the first period. Laughton slammed awkwardly into the back boards and briefly went up the tunnel before returning to the bench.
The alternate captain missed four games in November with an upper-body injury. He finished Thursday’s game, playing 17:22 minutes.
• The Flyers are back in action Saturday when they visit the Red Wings (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
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