The Washington Capitals just hung five goals on Aleksei Kolosov in the preseason finale, sending the Philadelphia Flyers into the regular season with a rough 5-1 loss. That score stings even worse when you consider the Flyers outshot the Caps a whopping 37-24 and even outplayed them for “big stretches.” Yeah, rough. The Caps rolled with only four skaters packing NHL experience, too. Talk about a gut punch before the real battles begin.
The Goalie Story and Some Jersey Drama
The scoreboard tells a tale for Kolosov that no goalie wants, especially when he’s facing what could be the opening night lineup. The second period was a full-blown Caps party, with Andrew Cristall and Maxim Schafer finding the net, then Ethen Frank scoring a power play goal. Theodor Niederbach and Lynden Lakovic piled on in the third. It wasn’t Kolosov’s night, plain and simple. What was up with the jersey tucks, though? It was a whole thing. The Flyers apparently made some statement about the jersey-tuck rule after Trevor Zegras got penalized in a prior game. They tucked for warmups, then went untucked for the game. The referees didn’t seem to care, even giving the Flyers ten minutes of power play time in the first period. No equipment penalties in this one, so it seems like all that fuss was for nothing.
The Power Play Is Actually… Good?
Amidst the five-goal shellacking, there was a legitimate bright spot: the Flyers’ power play. Despite their historical issues, the man advantage “looks visually better,” and you can really see the talent shining through. Trevor Zegras, Matvei Michkov, and Jamie Drysdale were out there generating scoring chances left and right. They had plenty of opportunity, too, spending half the first period on the power play, including a double minor for high-sticking. It’s almost like all that talent has been trapped in a “cursed bubble,” and when that thing finally bursts, goals are gonna be raining down. That’s a huge shift from what we’ve seen before, and it could be a game-changer when the regular season officially drops.
Jiricek’s Spot and the Setup Headaches
David Jiricek definitely got a ton of ice time, but the Capitals did their homework. They crowded his shooting lanes, making it tough for him to get much going. Jamie Drysdale, on the other hand, seemed to have more space with his unit, which might just mean he’s on the better group. Here’s a thought though: Alex Bump, who’s a shooter, is feeding Jiricek for one-timers on the second unit. Bump isn’t really a playmaker, and that setup clearly needs a tweak to open up more space for Jiricek. It’s the kind of early season adjustment that could make a real difference. The regular season is suddenly here, so let’s hope the coaching staff figures out that power play alignment to unlock Jiricek’s potential and keeps that improved power play cooking.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Broad Street Hockey.
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