This is looking like it will be a repeat of the game we played against them last week.
Obviously hoping the Leafs lose enough the rest of the way to miss the playoffs (unlikely since the Atlantic is trash) but this run and gun style is exposing enough more just how bad their defense is. If Andersen doesn’t stand on his head they’ll get slaughtered in the playoffs when things tighten up
I dunno. Watched closely last night and they're better than I thought. Babcock had them playing the defense-first style that old-school coaches prefer, but it didn't suit their strengths and he was unwilling to compromise. Keefe looked at the roster and saw the '84-'85 Oilers, so he's letting them play like the '84-'85 Oilers. I know things tend to "tighten up" in the playoffs, but you've got to control them first. We couldn't do it. The Jets couldn't do it. These guys have a ton of talent up front, a great goalie, and they're having fun for the first time ever. I wouldn't bet against them right now.
Maybe they're not talented enough to out-talent Boston, Washington or Tampa Bay, but they're 14-4-1 under Keefe and the best team in the league in that span, so I wouldn't be quick to dismiss it.
I think we have to acknowledge that the only thing preventing the Leafs from being an elite team was their coach, and he's gone now.
It's been a pretty solid night of results so far. Hopefully Vegas keeps it up as well.
Dunno if anyone saw the ending of this one, but it's worth a re-watch if it's available to you. Vegas was up 5-3 going to the third, but Philly is the best team in the league in the third period (plus-17 goal differential) and they started with a power play on a clean sheet.
It took 15 seconds for Couturier to make it 5-4.
Fast forward 17 minutes of trading chances, including a perfectly-executed Vegas 3-on-1 that ended with Glass ringing the post, and there's a board battle about 15 feet inside the Vegas zone. I said to myself, "if this puck gets out, Vegas wins." It seemed to go on forever, then the puck popped loose to Reilly Smith, who had the clear on his backhand. He lifts it. I hold my breath. Right into the stands. Delay of game. With 2:46 on the clock. Ugh.
Giroux wins the draw and the Flyers take complete control. Fleury -- the only thing standing between me and knowing Philly will win this game -- makes a few B-plus saves, but nothing too amazing. Then, a whistle. Cross-checking on Engelland with 1:29 to go and a 5-on-3 for Philly. Kiss the regulation loss good-bye.
Keep in mind that up to the point of Smith's penalty, there was *one* penalty called on each team in the first 57 minutes of the game. I wanted to immediately blame the refs, until I saw a replay. No doubter. Engelland clearly was relying on the "refs won't put us down two men at this point in the game" urban legend. He was wrong.
Philly called timeout and obviously, pulled Carter Hart. It would be a 6-on-3 for most of the rest of the game with a lot of talent on the ice for Philly. Instead of thinking about Philly getting no points, now I'm thinking, "anything less than two points for PHI is a win for us." With Vegas also using their timeout, Giroux, Couturier (who played *all* of the final 3 minutes, 49 seconds), Voracek, Konekny, and Provorov were all able to play the entire time for Philly. And add in Ghost for the final 1:54.
And that's when Brayden McNabb became a hero. Just as Philly was setting up the first time. He made back-to-back blocks and managed to dump it all the way down. A few seconds later, he managed to get just enough of a pass to the point to deflect it to center. Philly ended up with only one shot on goal the final 1:29, which is amazing based on how they worked it around.
Honestly, it's the most I got into a non-Canes game in a while, and my five mini-heart attacks prove it.
And btw, Vegas played with 11 forwards and seven defensemen with Marchessault a late scratch and Nosek's wife in labor. Jon Merrill filled in at LW and scored his first goal of the season. Stuff happens in an NHL season, right?
