A spunky start to the season for the young Flyers has curdled somewhat in the new year, with a six-game losing streak mostly highlighted by an inability to prevent goals—opponents scored 31 over the stretch—before taking a nice win over Vegas earlier this week. Garnet Hathaway's problem has been on the other end: the 34-year-old, one of the team's few veterans, has just one goal in 43 games. I guess you could say that he does not hathaway with the puck this season.
Philadelphia seemed set to address both their plunge in the standings and Hathaway's dry spell, with what looked to be a comfy victory in Utah, and a large, appetizing empty net calling Hathaway's name. It was, in fact, calling his name, but in that Ancient Greek Sirens way that ends in disaster.
Philly had a three-goal lead early in the second and a 4-2 lead after two, which are impressive but not impossible leads to blow. It's how Philly blew it that stands out. Barrett Hayton converted on a power play to make it a one-goal game, and that's how it stayed until the closing minutes, when the Mammoth pulled their goalie and Hathaway found himself on the dreaded 1-on-0. Even the goons in the cheap seats who yell SHOOOOOOT wouldn't have felt the need to mention it hear. But alas, just when they were needed the most:
That's a rough one. I'm only giving a four out of 10 on the Patrik Stefan Scale, because for as improbable and unacceptable as Hathaway's gaffe was, it's at least explicable. He just lost track of where everyone was on the ice, and took a few ill-advised extra strides, which he assumed he had the time for, to close the distance on goal. It required a nice effort from Nick Schmaltz to pick his pocket; Stefan lost his battle with empty air.
Hathaway appeared pretty broken up about it after the game, sitting forlornly in his jersey long after his teammates had hit the showers, according to reporters. Flyers PR kept them from asking him questions, the sort of questions that don't really have answers. Head coach Rick Tocchet said he wouldn't bother chastising his dejected winger. "What are you going to say? He knows it."
Tocchet had harsher words for the team as a whole, declaring, "You’ve got to rise to the occasion. You’ve got to want to be out there in pressure situations, and certain guys sunk in certain situations." Denied the easy two points, the Flyers could still have hung on for the win if they could kill off 90 seconds of empty-net time, or, barring that, win in overtime or a shootout. Mammoth captain Clayton Keller made sure none of that happened, scoring the tying and winning goals.
It's a long season, but it often comes down to single points dropped or stolen along the way. The Flyers are now three points out of a wild card in the East; the Mammoth are three up for one in the West. So: Remember this night. Don't rub it in. And for the love of god, if you have an empty net, shoot the puck.
