Flyers Lose To Bruins 5-1, Tying the Worst Start in Over 25 Years

The Flyers dropped to 0-4-2 Saturday afternoon following a 5-1 loss to the Bruins in TD Garden, tying the franchise record for the longest winless start to a season. Boston controlled the game from the opening faceoff, leaving the Flyers as the only winless team left in the Eastern Conference to open the season.

Going in, the Flyers were 0-3-2 and looking for any kind of response after a 2-1 close loss in Ottawa,

Philadelphia was coming off a close 2-1 loss in Ottawa, looking for any kind of response after starting the year winless through their first five games of the season. They showed light late in the Senators’ loss, and with Daniel Vladar back in goal, it was the Flyers’ best chance yet to avoid matching the longest winless start in franchise history.

Pavel Zacha got the Bruins on the board in the first period when a wrister from the slot fluttered off Vladar and over the goal line. A period later, Mason Lohrei doubled the lead late on a four-on-two rush, beating Vladar over his shoulder, and early in the third period, Marat Khusnutdinov made it 3-0 Boston.

Porter Martone ended Jeremy Swayman’s shutout bid with a power-play goal minutes after Khusnutdinov, but the Flyers’ hope didn’t last long as Casey Mittelstadt answered back with a deflection goal through the five-hole of Vladar.

Fraser Minten put the finishing touch on the victory, scoring a fifth goal on Vladar after a crisp pass from JJ Peterka to make it 5-1.

Defense Leaves Vladar Out To Dry Again

Vladar stopped 27 of 32 shots, and for long stretches he was the only reason the game stayed anywhere near close for the Flyers. Boston outshot Philadelphia 12-3 in the first period and 22-8 after two, shwoing early on who was in dominating the offensive end.

The Flyers never really got any shots through, playing in the defensive zone essentially the entire game, getting outshot 32-15 when things were all said and done.

The Lohrei goal was an odd-man rush that has become a theme for Philadelphia this season; misplays from the offense leads to a prime opportunity at their exposed goaltender on the other end.

Rick Tocchet has built this Flyers identity on playing defense well and limiting chances, but they have now allowed 24 goals in six games. Zacha’s goal was particularly ugly, and Vladar will want it back, but it was a product of a defense that spent most of the afternoon chasing the puck in their own zone.

Offense Still Can’t Get Anything Going

The Flyers finished with 15 shots, including just three in the first period, and have scored only seven goals in their first six games. Their only goal came on the power play halfway through the third period after Zacha tripped David Jiricek, but they struggled all game to get any kind of offense past Swayman.

Martone’s goal was only the second power play goal of the season for a team that began 0-for-11 with the man advantage, so this is a slightly positive thing. He finished with three shots and continues to be one of the few Flyers creating any offense early on.

Michael Bunting, in his second game since signing this week, finished with a +/- of -2 without a shot on goal. With Tocchet changing up the lineup almost game-to-game, this Flyers offense remains seemingly stuck in neutral with no fix in sight. The passing remains an issue, and the team needs a shot in the arm right away, because there is no offense at all on this team at all.

Flyers Hit Rock Bottom With No Quick Fix In Sight

The loss in Boston ties the Flyers with the 1999 team, which started 0-5-1, and the 2008-09 team, which started 0-3-3, for the longest winless start to a season in franchise history. This skid feels like there is no end in sight, with the team’s play degrading every game.

They never really put any pressure on Swayman, and the Boston defense could sink back when the puck entered their zone and send it the other way. The coaching staff and veteran leadership need to course correct fast here, because while the season is young, the Flyers have yet to put together one solid game where they played like the team from last season.

This offense looks like it’s regressed deeply, and this is greatly concerning, since the offseason was built on creating an offensive identity, which has not shown up at all this season.

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