The Flyers’ early-season stumble kept rolling Monday night in Tampa, where the Lightning put together a 4-1 win and left Philadelphia still searching for its first victory.
Pontus Holmberg and Ilya Mikheyev each finished with a goal and an assist for Tampa Bay, while Andrei Vasilevskiy turned aside 13 shots and climbed into a tie for 20th on the NHL career wins list. Vasilevskiy’s 372nd career victory pulled him even with Andy Moog, and he now sits two wins shy of tying John Vanbiesbrouck for 19th.
Brayden Point and Brandon Hagel also scored for the Lightning, who have won two straight since dropping their opener to the New York Rangers. Nikita Kucherov added two assists and moved to 1,128 career points, passing Mike Bossy and Joe Nieuwendyk for 67th place on the NHL’s all-time list.
Philadelphia got its lone goal from Tyson Foerster, and Dan Vladar made 32 saves in the loss.
The result pushed the Flyers to 0-2-2 through four games, their first winless start through that many contests since 2013-14. Even more frustrating for Philadelphia, the offense has been held to two goals or fewer in every game so far.
Tampa Bay got on the board first late in the opening period when Point redirected a wrist shot from John Carlson at 16:05 for his first goal of the season. The Lightning stretched the lead just 17 seconds into the second period, with Holmberg striking off the rush to make it 2-0.
Foerster answered at 7:22 of the second, wheeling a shot from the top of the left circle that struck Tampa Bay defenseman Charle-Edouard D'Astous in front and found its way in, cutting the deficit to one.
That was as close as Philadelphia got. Mikheyev’s wraparound with three minutes left gave Tampa Bay breathing room, and Hagel sealed it with an empty-net goal.
Denver Barkey was back in the Flyers’ lineup for his season debut after missing the first three games with an undisclosed lower-body injury.
The Flyers visit the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night, while the Lightning host the Minnesota Wild.
In Other News...
Flyers Make A Tough Lineup Call As Barkey Returns
Denver Barkey is on track to give the Flyers another look against Tampa Bay, with the young forward expected to make his season debut after working back from a lower-body injury. Rick Tocchet confirmed Barkey is likely to play and pointed to the qualities that make him intriguing for this roster, especially his hockey sense and ability to create offense. It is the kind of return that can quietly shift the feel of a lineup, particularly for a team still sorting out which young pieces are ready for bigger minutes.
The move also comes with a tough decision elsewhere, as Alex Bump is expected to come out of the lineup to make room. For a club trying to balance development with immediate performance, those calls can say plenty about where the staff sees its depth chart right now. Dan Vladar will also be back in goal for his second start of the season, adding another layer to a game that will offer a clearer picture of how the Flyers want to line up as Barkey re-enters the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Linked To A Young Defenseman Worth A Bold Push
Contract talks in Detroit have turned into one of the more closely watched subplot lines of the offseason, and a young defenseman with size and upside is now at the center of it. Philadelphia is among the teams reportedly monitoring the situation, with the kind of blue-line profile that tends to draw attention if it becomes available.
Simon Edvinssons frustration with his contract negotiations has opened the door to the possibility of a move, even as the Red Wings still want to work something out. Seattle and Pittsburgh are also said to be in the mix, which means any team serious about making a push may have to come in aggressively before Detroit is forced to decide whether to keep negotiating or listen more seriously to outside interest. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Get Timely Boost Before Tampa Bay But Two Statuses Loom
The Flyers got a little healthier at the right time as they prepared for Tampa Bay, with the latest injury report bringing some encouragement to a lineup that has had to absorb its share of bumps. Denver Barkey appears close to returning from a lower-body injury, and his progress gives Philadelphia another option as it looks to sharpen its depth for a tough matchup.
There is still some uncertainty, though, because Rasmus Ristolainen remains in the mix after leaving a recent game with a hand issue. Barkeys possible return also comes with a procedural wrinkle, since he would have to come off injured reserve first, which could mean a corresponding roster move before he is available. [Read more 🡒]