To put things mildly, things haven’t been going well for the Philadelphia Flyers. At least they shouldn’t feel lonely, as they hosted - and defeated - an equally grim* New York Rangers team 2-1 on Thursday.
This marks the Flyers’ second win of the season, as both teams have nearly identical records (Philly’s 2-7-0 while New York is 2-6-0).
Bright sides
For the Rangers, it’s pretty obvious: they just have one more road game in their staggering nine-game opening trip before they can get their feet under them a bit at Madison Square Garden. The Flyers have had it easier, as six of their first nine have been in Philadelphia. (At least Cam Talbot looked competent, stopping 25 out of 27 shots.)
Also: Brad Richards is playing well.
The bad news for the Flyers is that they aren’t even scoring in bunches when they win, as their two victories came at 2-1.
Oddly enough, Steve Mason’s strong play has been obscured by Philly’s awful scoring. Despite that 2-5-0 record, Mason’s .930 save percentage is sterling.
So, sure, you have to squint to find positives ... although beating the Rangers is an obvious plus for Flyers fans.
* - The bleak outlooks are comparable unless you really want to split hairs of sadness.