The Flyers opened the second half of their season on Saturday, and like many of the team's first 41 games, it wasn't very memorable* for those in attendance.
*Unless your last name is Pastrnak.
The Flyers lost their goalie, Steve Mason, to an injury in the first period, on their way to a 3-1 loss to the Bruins.
Voracek giveth, and Voracek taketh away
Jake Voracek, who entered Saturday’s game against the Bruins as the NHL’s leading point scorer, didn’t have his best game against the Bruins.
After scoring the game-winning overtime goal against the Capitals Thursday, Voracek committed the first-period penalty (Interference, 10:21) that led to the Bruins goal.
One could argue that Mason’s injury is just as responsible, but I’m not going to blame Ray Emery for allowing a power-play goal.
For David Pastrnak, it was his first NHL goal. And he didn’t have to wait long for his second, which came in the third period.
Pastrnak nearly finished with a hat trick, as he skated towards an empty Flyers goal with just a few seconds remaining. He fired one into the net, but the final horn had already sounded.
As for Voracek, he was able to add to his point total, which now stands at 50, thanks to an assist on Claude Giroux’s goal in the third period.
Giroux on the hunt
Speaking of NHL point leaders, Giroux moved into solo possession of third place on that list thanks to his third-period goal against the Bruins, the Flyers only score of the day.
Giroux now has 46 points (14 G, 32 Assists), putting him behind Voracek (50) and just one behind Tyler Seguin of the Stars. The Flyers captain led the Flyers in points last season with 86 and finished third in the NHL behind only Sidney Crosby (104) and Ryan Getzlaf (87).
Kholsen Fisher in the house
Remember young Kholsen Fisher? The pint-sized Flyers fan who screamed in disgust when realizing he had gotten a Penguins’ Crosby jersey for Christmas?
Well the Flyers took notice, and sent him a gift basket that included tickets to the Flyers-Bruins game.
He got a huge ovation from the crowd at the Wells Fargo Center. Hating the Penguins, and specifically Crosby, will never go out of style in South Philly.
Never too early for fisticuffs
Not only did the puck drop early, but the gloves did as well. Just seven seconds into the game, Flyers defenseman Nick Schultz and Bruins’ Adam McQuaid went at it.
Like the game, this fight didn’t go well for the Orange and Black with Schultz being taken down to the ice, but not before absorbing a few rights to the face.
It did, however, lead to a power play opportunity, which the Flyers failed to capitalize on.