The Bruins shut out the Flyers, 2-0

On By Littum

The Flyers arrived at the Garden on Tuesday having allowed 4.44 goals per game in their first nine games. Easy pick for the Bruins?

Yes, right. In 2024-25, there is no such thing for this B’s team.

The B’s went 0-for-4 on the power play, including a long 5-on-3, and battled with the puck all night en route to their second shutout loss of the young season, this one a 2-0 loss to visitors from Philadelphia.

Tyson Foerster scored in the second period, and thanks to the Flyers’ 26 blocked shots, it held until Joel Farabee scored an empty netter. The loss wasted a good performance by Joonas Korpisalo (17 saves).

The first period was scoreless, thanks to several excellent saves by both netminders. Young defenseman Mason Lohrei experienced brutal puck malfunctions early on that would eventually lead to him bowing out a few shifts later in the first.

But when he and partner Charlie McAvoy couldn’t clear the puck early, Korpisalo bailed them out. On a bad Bruin early shift, Bobby Brink had half the net to shoot at, but Korpisalo, playing his first game since Oct. 16, made a stunning tear save.

The B’s had a great chance to take the lead when Brad Marchand was cross-checked and then David Pastrnak was hooked 23 seconds later, giving the B’s a 5-on-3 at 1:37. But the B’s got a kick out of it as the Flyers somehow managed to clear their shooting lanes for the extended two-man advantage. They also needed Korpisalo to come up with a big stop on the Flyers’ shorthanded bid after the first penalty was out, coming over to his left to thwart Garnet Hathaway on a 2-on-1.

The B’s, who held an 11-7 shot advantage, had their best chance when Andrew Peeke took the puck deep and fed Elias Lindholm for what looked like a tap-in, but Sam Ersson somehow made it all the way over to thwart the centeman. . Peeke also hit a post later in the period.

The Flyers took the lead at 5:32. The B’s lost puck battles on both blue lines and eventually Emil Andrae fed Tyson Foerster in the high slot and he was able to beat Korpisalo under the pads with a hard wrister for the 1-0 Flyer lead.

The B’s then promptly gave the Flyers a power play, but they were able to kill it.

Morgan Geekie, who has struggled offensively, gave the B’s another power play chance when he buried a Flyer in the offensive zone and Morgan Frost responded with a tall stick. But the B’s, hesitant to play on the rim, didn’t get the puck to the net before Justin Brazeau’s tip was tipped by Ersson as the PP ended.

The Flyers had 17 blocked shots through the first 20 minutes, plus several thwarted passes that frustrated the Bruins. The B’s held a 10-6 shot advantage in the second, but they headed into the third period with a goal.

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