The Flyers absolutely couldn’t catch a break, dropping their season-opening back-to-back with a 3-2 overtime loss to the Devils, and honestly, the only reason it wasn’t a total blowout was new goaltender Joseph Woll going absolutely berserk between the pipes in his regular season debut. After taking an outright walloping from the Penguins in their opener, Philly was desperate for a productive response, but things just broke wrong again in OT, sending them home with another disappointing L.
Another Brutal Start, Even if They Got Lucky
Look, after getting smoked by the Penguins on Wednesday, you’d think the Flyers would come out flying against the Devils, right? Ready to turn the page and get this season moving. But nope. They definitely did not deliver a tidy first period. Instead of a focused attack, they immediately turned the puck over in their own blue line on the opening shift, giving the Devils an early chance. Then they got absolutely hemmed into their own zone on back-to-back shifts, just chasing the game while the Devils got their cycle going and poured on the chances. It made for a super tough start; they had to fight way harder just to get themselves into the game, trying to grab some control that was just not gonna come easy.
The crazy thing? They still somehow survived that early Devils surge and even got a bit of luck to pull into the lead in the opening frame. Rasmus Ristolainen ripped a shot through traffic that found its way past Jake Allen. Yeah, they’ll take that outcome every time, but let’s be real: those cracks in their process were screaming, leaving them totally vulnerable for the luck to flip.
Joseph Woll’s Masterclass Couldn’t Hide the Red Flags
Thursday night was a wild one because it was new goaltender Joseph Woll’s regular season debut for the Flyers, and you cannot overstate what a difference-maker he was. Given all the challenges thrown at him from minute one, he was the *only* reason this game even went to overtime. The shot disparity in this one is gonna be the major takeaway for anyone breaking down this game, and honestly, the only reason the score wasn’t equally lopsided is because Woll brought his absolute A-game. The dude faced a whopping 44 shots on goal across the night! And get this: 43 scoring chances were generated right in front of him. That’s insane. It’s clear that his teammates didn’t do nearly enough to insulate him or make his job any easier.
This 3-2 overtime loss after that Penguins beatdown? It’s a super rough start to the season, plain and simple. If the Flyers wanna turn this thing around, they gotta insulate their goalie better and clean up those early period mistakes. Nobody can hang with a 44-shot onslaught every night, not even Woll on his A-game.
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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