Distracted Avalanche blown out by Flyers

HIGHLIGHTS

GAME RUNDOWN

Being played a night before the trade deadline, the Colorado Avalanche’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers couldn’t be a bigger distraction for a team expecting to be very active in moving veteran players with expiring contracts in the next 24 hours. Instead, the team has done absolutely nothing in the trade market and then followed it up with an unfocused, atrocious performance against the Flyers.

The disaster began quickly as the Flyers took an early penalty and Matt Duchene turned the puck over and helped create a three-on-one for the Flyers. Wayne Simmonds finished off the rush when his pass banked off a sliding Francois Beauchemin and past goaltender Jeremy Smith to give Philly a 1-0 lead on a shorthanded goal just 4:04 into the game.

The Flyers weren’t even close to finished as Simmonds tallied his second of the night on a deflection of a point shot that beat Smith through the tiniest of gaps in his five-hole. The game’s second goal was a power play tally, making this not only a rough start for the Avalanche but a disaster for their special teams.

Unfortunately for Colorado, things did not improve much as they surrendered a third special teams goal at 10:35 of the opening frame on another goal banked in off Beauchemin. Initially, it appeared as if Simmonds had the hat trick and fans littered the ice with their headwear but upon review, it was revealed he never made contact with the puck and the goal went to Jakub Voracek. The announcement was made to a booing crowd.

The second period started off with an inspired Colorado effort looking to push back and try to get themselves on the scoreboard and into the game and a perfect stretch pass from Patrick Wiercioch to Mikko Rantanen sprung the Finnish rookie for a breakaway but he was impeded with, drawing a penalty shot. Rantanen was stopped by netminder Steve Mason on the attempt, further deflating Colorado.

Just minutes after Rantanen’s failed penalty shot, the Flyers added to their 3-0 lead when rookie Jordan Weal notched his first NHL goal on a perfect deflection that fluttered past a sliding Smith. The play was reviewed for a potential offside infraction but the replays showed Philadelphia managed to stay onside just by a fraction of an inch and the goal was good and the game moved to 4-0.

Neither team managed a goal the rest of the way and Colorado ultimately paid the price for yet another lethargic start to a game, losing 4-0 despite outshooting the Flyers throughout the course of the game.

THREE STARS

1. Wayne Simmonds
2. Steve Mason
3. Claude Giroux

PLAY OF THE GAME

Weal’s goal was the first of his career and was a nice deflection to get by Smith. Sometimes you just have to tip your cap and congratulate a guy on a moment he’ll take with him the rest of his life.

TURNING POINT

The game’s opening goal was all it took for the Flyers in this one and Colorado’s horrific play on the man advantage was a sign of things to come in a first period in which Philadelphia absolutely dominated an apathetic Avalanche team.

BY THE NUMBERS

WHAT’S NEXT

The trade deadline tomorrow at 1 p.m. is all that matters for now.