[ Story and photos by Rick Pettine ]
PHILADELPHIA – January 11, 2020 — If there was any good news in the 1-0 loss on home ice to Tampa Bay, it was that the Flyers limited the Lightning to only 1 goal. And that fluky goal was a bouncing puck from Anthony Cirelli that slipped past the glove of Flyers defenseman Matt Niskanen and tapped in by Tampa Bay’s Pat Maroon.
Much more of a defensive game, Tampa Bay’s goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy made 23 saves, and the Flyers’ Carter Hart stopped 27 shots. The Flyers were the more physical team as both offenses failed to general much excitement on the ice or in the stands.
Oskar Lindblom, who earlier this year was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, was in the arena, and the crowd showed their support for his cancer fight.
The Lightning are the red-hot team in the NHL, now with 10 straight wins and potent offensive lines that have outscored opponents 43-17 during the win streak. The Flyers have been excellent at home, losing only 2 games this year before entering the contest.
The Flyers take on the Boston Bruins for their next challenging opponent on home ice. Expect that to be a gritty match!
Additional game photos in the gallery below: