The importance of showing up for 60 minutes in a hockey game cannot be stressed enough.
In this one, the Flyers finally had a complete game. 22, they were embarrassed in the first period after giving up five goals. In their 7-6 shootout loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Dec. 21, they were not the better team in either the second or the third period. In their 4-2 loss to the Nashville Predators on Dec. The Flyers were coming off back-to-back losses entering this game where they did not have complete efforts. As such, they deserve some kudos even if they didn’t necessarily dismantle Vancouver. It wasn’t their most impressive win, but they gave a team that will likely be contending for the Stanley Cup a run for their money. While the Flyers were the better team in this one overall, the Canucks still gave them a fight. The Flyers have had some games where they truly did outplay superior opponents to them in terms of offensive chances generated, defensive play, etc. As the clear underdogs on the road, that’s all you can truly ask for. They didn’t dominate the Canucks like a three-goal victory without a single empty-net tally would suggest, but they did play well enough for a win. During the actual game, the Flyers played a clean game both defensively and overall.
