The lack of attack in the first period, coupled with sluggish starts in their own zone, have made for an alarming trend. Even through their first 33 minutes last Tuesday against Winnipeg, the Flyers could muster just nine shots on goal. They had just seven shots on Lundqvist through the first 26:25.
Somehow, the Flyers weren't able to carry over their 24-shot third period from Saturday, in which they set a franchise record for shot differential in one period (24-1).
"It was obviously not the start we were looking for, to go down 1-0 in the game and to not generate," coach Peter Laviolette said.
The Flyers also have allowed a slew of goals late in the period, skating off to their locker room having coughed up a goal in the closing minutes or seconds. Yesterday, Marian Gaborik's backbreaker came with 5.1 seconds left in the second. On Saturday, the Devils' Dainius Zubrus scored with less than a second left in the first.
In all, nine of the 13 goals allowed by the Flyers in the back-to-back games this weekend were scored in the first or last 3:05 of a period.
"I thought we started slow again, which is not good," Wayne Simmonds said. "We rallied the troops and we tied the game, 2-2, but obviously they started going again and scored more goals than we did."
Hartnell benched
Scott Hartnell spent a good chunk of the first period chained to the bench.
He ended up as a minus-4, with one assist, playing 15 minutes, 34 seconds. Since Oct. 22, Hartnell has played fewer than 16 minutes just six other times. He took just two shifts in the final 10:58 of the first period but maintained a fairly regular shift after that.
Hartnell took responsibility for his start, saying that was the reason he was benched.
