Nick Cousins Scores, Draws 5-minute Major in Flyers' Loss

CALGARY, Alberta - The play was long since over when Alex Chiasson skated by Nick Cousins near the Flyers' bench and speared him.
 
Well, truth is, it seemed more a poke into his left midsection.
 
Cousins, excellent at drawing penalties, sold it even more and Chiasson was tossed from the game barely eight minutes into play, setting up a five-minute power play for the Flyers, who were simply dysfunctional in every respect.
 
While it's true these two teams, who meet just twice a year, don't like each other, there was nothing really there to say why Chiasson did it.
 
"I'm not quite sure, it wasn't even part of the play," said Cousins, because the play had stopped with a whistle on an icing and the Flyers were making a line change. "I was trying to change and he comes up and spears me. I think the ref made the right call."
 
Cousins had a very strong game with the Flyers' lone goal in the 3-1 loss (see game story). He played 15:17 with five shots. Only Jordan Weal, who also stood out, shot the puck more - six times.
 
Cousins also won 8 of 10 faceoffs.
 
"I thought we took it to them most of the game," he said. "Their goalie (Brian Elliott) played well but that's been the excuse the last 10-15 games.
 
"We've got to make it harder on them. We've got to get more traffic. It's the same excuse here it feels like after every game. We've got to score more goals - simple as that."
 
The Flyers wasted that power play with two shots - both during a 5-on-3 portion that would come later - while Calgary cleared the zone an amazing 11 times.
 
The Flyers' first-unit power play was nothing short of awful.
 
"It wasn't demoralizing," Wayne Simmonds said. "We've just got to bear down and put the puck in the back of the net, guys.
 
"We're playing good hockey here. We're not scoring goals but playing good hockey. Eventually, it's gonna turn and when it turns, we'll score in bunches."
 
The power play went 0 for 4 and is 1 for 16 over the last five games.
 
Loose pucks
Brayden Schenn had six hits. ... There were 13 NHL scouts from this game, including representatives from the Rangers and Islanders in the Metro Division. ... This game marked the 14th set of back-to-back games for the Flyers. They meet the Oilers on Thursday for the first time in their new digs. ... Former Flame and Flyer Joel Otto, an assistant coach with the WHL Calgary Hitmen, dropped by the Flyers' morning skate. He took a photo with fellow Bemidji State grad Matt Read.

Copyright CSNPhily
Contact Us