Panthers can’t build on lead as Flyers hand Florida its third loss in a row
A chance to leapfrog all those wild-card teams they’re jumbled in with and move into third place in the Atlantic Division was on the line for the Panthers in the same building Sergei Boborvsky used to call home when he started out back in 2010.
Things looked promising when MacKenzie Weegar got Florida on the board in the first 3:07 Monday.
It left Panthers coach Joel Quennville in a foul mood.
“There’s nothing wrong with getting angry as long a you’re angry the right way,” said Quennville, who won the 2010 Stanley Cup here while coaching the Blackhawks. “We had a real good first period and some high, high quality chances in the second that didn’t go in.
“We lost some momentum after their first goal, then missed on some breakaways and on the power play. We have to be better.”
The good thing is the Panthers won’t have long to dwell on it, since they headed right up the turnpike afterwards to take on the Devils, before getting a rematch with these Flyers back home Thursday.
“Let’s go,” said Quennville. “We’ve got a busy schedule, so we just have to get ready for the next game.
“That has to be our mindset.” So much for the highlights. After that it was all Flyers, as Philadelphia tied the score midway through the first period, then went ahead to stay early in the second en route to a 4-1victory that handed the 29-20-6 Panthers their third consecutive loss and kept them winless over the past four games.
<FZ,1,0,8>Bobrovsky tried to keep them in there with 30 saves, but after that early surge 21-year-old Flyers’ goalie Carter Hart slammed the door with 30 saves.
The Panthers took command early on Weegar’s goal and had chances for more, before the Flyers — apparently still basking in the glow of their 7-2 drubbing of the Capitals the other night — got down to business. Ivan Provorov tied it 10 minutes later, then after both sides had failed to convert on the power play, James van Riemsdyk cashed in Jake Voracek’s pass on a 2-on-1 early in the second for the lead goal.
Following a wide-open sequence with chances at both ends, it was the Flyers who struck, as Travis Sanheim scored out of a scramble in front of the net, making it 3-1 heading into the third period.
After failing to connect on an early power play the Panthers stayed within striking distance by killing off two penalties, including a 17-second 5-on-3 stint. But Florida was having no luck against Hart as the clock dipped below seven minutes. Strong Flyers forechecking kept chances at a minimum, forcing the Panthers to gamble.
Ultimately, given one last power play they pulled Bobrovsky with 1:32 left. It backfired when Claude Giroux dug the puck out of a goal-mouth scramble and backhanded it the length of the ice into the open net to finish things off.
The Panthers had gotten on the board early when Weegar pounced on a long rebound of Aaron Ekblad’s shot from the point and blasted it past Hart, making his first start in 10 games after suffering a groin injury.
They nearly made it 2-0 moments later, only to see Hart turn aside Jonathan Huberdeau from point-blank range. But Florida continued to carry play, while limiting Flyers’ chances at the other end.
After the Fyers killed off a penalty it seemed to energize them, setting up defenseman Provorov for the equalizer in the slot at 13:58. Next, it was Philadelphia’s turn with the man advantage after Jayce Hawryluk went off for tripping. But Bobrowsky held his ground, keeping it 1-1 after one.
The one-time Flyers goalie robbed Travis Konecny early in the second with a glove-hand save, then saw Justin Braun’s screen shot trickle off his chest harmlessly away. But there was nothing he could after Jake Voracek gathered in a loose puck from just outside the blue line, setting up a 2-on-1 with van Riemsdyk.
After drawing Bobrowsky out of the net, Voracek deftly dropped it off to van Riemsdyk, who backhanded it home to give the Flyers a 2-1 lead at 5:24.
Philadelphia continued to pepper Bobrovsky in the attack zone, coming close to taking a two-goal lead.
At the other end the 21-year-old Hart had all the answers, preserving the lead with saves on Evgenii Dadonov, Anton Stralman and Aleksander Barkov. When the Panthers went back on the power play he stopped Dadonov in close again, then caught a break when Mike Hoffman hit the post.
But just as it seemed likely this would remain a 2-1 game through two periods, Sanheim became the second Philadelphia defenseman on the night to find the net, putting the Panthers down 3-1 with just 20 minutes to play.