Bruins Need to Take Advantage of The Flyers’ Weakness
By Scott Roche
After starting the season hot, things have not gone well lately for the Philadelphia Flyers. Fortunately for the Boston Bruins, they have success this season against the Flyers, winning five of their first six games.
After a 3-2 overtime loss Monday night at the TD Garden, the home-and-home series heads South to Philadelphia tonight for the second of three games this week between the two 2021 East Division foes. With just two games remaining this season against Boston and chasing them in the standings for the final playoff berth, the Flyers are going to be a desperate hockey team.
If the Bruins are going to build on their lead in the standings, taking advantage of the Flyers and their struggles lately are going to key again tonight.
Entering tonight’s game with a minus-22 goal-differential, the Flyers are not one of the best teams in their own defensive end. Take for instance the first period Monday night.
After taking a 1-0 lead, Philadelphia got caught watching the puck in their own defensive end with three players going to Trent Frederic. That left Charlie McAvoy to come off the bench and into the offensive all alone in the slot. He one-timed a slap shot off the post, but still, moving the puck around the offensive end will create opportunities.
Bruins can take advantage of the Flyers on the power play.
Philadelphia is ranked near the bottom of the league killing penalties. In fact, they are ranked 29th in the league on the PK and they also rank 29th in power play goals allowed. Boston took advantage of their penalty kill with a second-period power play goal Monday night by Patrice Bergeron.
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Whether it’s 5-on-5 or on the power play, the Bruins should have an advantage on the Flyers in the offensive end. This season, amazingly in six games, the Black and Gold are 9-for-18 against the Flyers on the power play. Talk about a key to success. There really is no need to look further to see why the Bruins have had so much success in 2021 against Philadelphia.