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The first period has not been too kind to the Philadelphia Flyers lately. It feels as if the Flyers have had issues generating offense, especially in the first 20 minutes of the game. It’s like the team needs a period to comprehend the game plan. It’s not like they don’t turn it around – most of the time, they do.
However, it seems like it’s a growing theme where the Flyers start slow, then put themselves in a hole that they have to dig out of. If this trend has taught us anything about this Flyers team, it’s that they fight. Though having to fight back in every game is not ideal.
Philadelphia’s slow start in their 3-2 loss to Ottawa was a critical factor in the loss.
The Flyers got off to another sluggish start on Saturday against the Senators. After just 20 minutes, they had only four shots on goal. They weren’t getting pucks or bodies to the net. The Flyers could not clear the puck out of their defensive zone, allowing the Senators to pretty much run the neutral zone. Not only was it a flat start offensively, but the defense struggled, too.
In his first start in over a week, Sam Ersson was tested with two grade-A looks by the Senators, both from Flyers mistakes. Ottawa capitalized on its chances and took an early 2-0 lead.
So, let’s make an obvious statement. When you don’t outscore your opponent, it’s hard to win games (it’s impossible).
The Flyers played 40 minutes of dominant hockey. In the final 40 minutes of regulation, the Flyers outshot the Senators 18-6. Per Natural Stat Trick, Philly outchanced Ottawa 19-10, and had 10 high-danger chances compared to Ottawa’s four. They also outscored the Senators 2-0 in that span as well.
So, back to the obvious statement: if the Flyers had not started so sluggishly, they would have earned two points on Saturday.
The big difference between Saturday’s start and the typical slow start for the Flyers was that this time, it affected the defense too.
Sure, the Flyers could have converted more, and once again, overcome a sluggish start. That, of course, did not happen. Regardless, Saturday’s game should never have made it to overtime.
No matter how you spin it, the Flyers’ sluggish start cost them the game.
Read More: Flyers Earn a Point But Can’t Complete OT Win vs. Senators
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