Carter Hart made 22 saves as the Philadelphia Flyers dumped the Edmonton Oilers 4-1 Thursday night.
“Certainly, we didn’t live up to what our standard of work ethic is tonight,” Oilers Head Coach Jay Woodcroft said after the game. “We didn’t execute. There were plays that can be made, they weren’t made. We have a standard that we play towards and we didn’t meet it tonight.”
The Flyers scored the only goal of the first period when Bobby Brink fed Joel Farabee with 4:10 to go.
Cam Atkinson made it 2-0 four minutes into the second, knifing home a pass from Owen Tippett. Zach Hyman gave the Oilers life, lifting a backhand over Hart for his second of the season. However, Sean Walker restored the Flyers two-goal lead with a shorthanded goal.
“I think we all have another level to get to,” Oilers Captain Connor McDavid said. “We haven’t been there yet this season. Lucky for us it’s only four games, but with that being said it’s been four games. It’s time to put our best foot forward here and start playing good games.”
The Oilers were little threat in the third, mustering only four shots on goal. Atkinson padded the Philly lead with a breakaway goal.
“We simply just got outworked,” Oilers forward Warren Foegele said. “They wanted it more than us and you can’t win a game if you don’t want it. Execution wasn’t good either. I think that’s what’s kind of been hurting us the last couple of games is we’re just not clean, we’re not quick. When we are quick we’re a dangerous team and right now we’re not.
The Oilers (1-3) will host Winnipeg on Saturday (630 CHED, Face-off Show at 6:30 p.m., game at 8 p.m.).