The Philadelphia Flyers were unable to overcome the Colorado Avalanche, falling 3-2 Sunday afternoon at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Game Summary
Rick Tocchet’s Flyers were down 3-1 early in the second period before Travis Konecny narrowed the gap to a single goal a little over four minutes later. The Flyers had several chances to tie the game in the third period but were unable to convert.
Avalanche Dominance
Colorado remains undefeated in regulation with only two losses. The Avalanche (21-2-6) lead the NHL with 4.00 goals per game and allow the fewest at 2.18. “Some people use games as measuring sticks and I think we don’t need to do that anymore,” Konecny said. “We’ve shown we can compete with the best teams, so why not start believing that we should be right there with them.”
Flyers’ Attempts
The Flyers trailed 3-2 at the start of the third period and had a 1:52 minute power play, yet they failed to capitalize. Trevor Zegras had a penalty shot after being held by Nathan MacKinnon on a breakaway, but Blackwood stopped the attempt. The Flyers also missed a chance to tie the game on a power play that lasted just 1:52 minutes.
Player Quotes
“We believed in our chances to win this game,” Couturier said. “But it just felt at times we maybe gave them a little too much respect, we watched them a little bit. But overall, we competed hard, we were right there until the end.”
“He was unbelievable like he always is,” Christian Dvorak said. “He kept us in it.”
Defensive Depth
The Flyers’ defensive depth was tested without Cam York, who missed the game with an upper‑body injury. The third defensive pair, Egor Zamula and Noah Juulsen, were on the ice for two of Colorado’s goals. Juulsen’s tripping penalty led to the Avalanche’s go‑ahead 2‑1 power play goal with 52 seconds left in the first period. Zamula finished with 14:03 minutes while Juulsen played 10:11.
Goaltending
Samuel Ersson returned to net for the Flyers after a strong performance in a 5-2 win over the Sabres. He made 25 saves on 28 shots and a huge stop on a Victor Olofsson breakaway in the second period to keep the Flyers down to 3‑2. Ersson said, “I think as the game kind of went along, we grew into it and got better and better. We definitely gave it a fair shot. Obviously we want the win, but there are some good things to take with us, as well.”
Mackenzie Blackwood was in net for both of Colorado’s back‑to‑back games. He stopped 24 of 26 shots after a 3‑2 overtime win over the Rangers Saturday afternoon at Madison Square Garden.
Special Moments
Sean Couturier, the Flyers’ longest‑tenured athlete since October 2011, scored the game‑opening goal 2:09 minutes into play on his 33rd birthday and 900th career NHL game. He redirected a Juulsen shot for the 1‑0 lead. “It’s just great to see him play 900, he has been through a lot in his career,” Konecny said. “He has always just put his head down and gone to work, led by example. He’s a guy that you can say he doesn’t really care about that goal; he’ll care about if we won or lost the game, and that speaks to why he’s our captain.”
Roster Updates
Three days after participating in the team’s morning skate, Rasmus Ristolainen joined the Flyers for practice Saturday. He remained in a non‑contact jersey and appears to be getting closer to a season debut, which could come at some point this month. Ristolainen has been recovering from surgery in March on a second triceps tendon rupture.
Upcoming Game
The Flyers will return to action Tuesday when they host the San Jose Sharks at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSP.
Key Takeaways
- Flyers lose 3‑2 to a dominant Avalanche that leads the NHL in goals per game.
- Sean Couturier scores on his 33rd birthday and 900th career game.
- Defensive depth tested with missing Cam York and key penalties by Juulsen.
The Flyers will regroup for the Sharks matchup, hoping to turn the tide after a hard‑fought game against Colorado.
