NEWARK, NJ — When the Flyers last visited the Prudential Center, Carter Hart put up a heroic performance with 48 saves.
On Saturday night, no one was there to save the Flyers from that.
John Tortorella’s team was outright defeated by the playoff-tied Devils 7-0.
The eyesore of a result was a fitting end to a crucial month for the club.
The Flyers (23-28-10) fell hard in February, going 2-7-1. They have just one game left before the NHL trade deadline next Friday. They will sell pieces. The focus of their season has completely shifted to next season and beyond what was expected.
“The effort is there. I just don’t think we use our head to understand how we have to play,” said Tortorella. “I think it’s up to me to make sure they understand that.
“I’m frustrated for them. It’s a good team. We’re still a long way from that. So you have to adjust your game to give yourself a chance to win. That’s what frustrates me for them.”
The club is 2-10-0 in the second game with two straight sets. There was another one-sided loss at home to the Canadians on Friday.
The Flyers missed Travis Konecny, who was out for the third straight year with an upper-body injury. He was placed on injured reserve on Saturday to open a roster spot for Elliot Desnoyers, who was making his NHL debut (more on that below).
The Flyers faced a lively crowd at the Prudential Center. New Jersey honored its 2003 Stanley Cup-winning team in a pregame ceremony.
The Flyers went 2-2-0 against the Devils (39-15-5) in the four-game regular season series.
“We are not there with this team. I don’t know how else to say it,” Tortorella said. “It’s not a criticism of our team, but we’re nowhere near that at the moment. That’s probably what they were a few years ago, Jersey, going through their process.
“I need to continue to understand that. I just want our guys to have some sense here in the last quarter by being smart when we’re playing these games now because we have a limited lineup.”
• James van Riemsdyk, the flyer most likely to be postponed until the deadline, was not included.
Tortorella said van Riemsdyk was “a bit knocked out”. Probably also an asset management by the Flyers.
We’ll see if the 33-year-old winger gets another game in a Flyers uniform.
Without Konecny and van Riemsdyk, the Flyers had a young look up front. Eight of their 12 forwards were 25 years old or younger.
• Samuel Ersson conceded his first loss as an NHL goaltender, falling to 6-1-0. He faced 36 shots.
The 23-year-old made some good saves to keep the Flyers afloat in the first 40 minutes.
He didn’t get much help in a second phase when New Jersey turned the Flyers’ game upside down.
Jonas Siegenthaler, Jack Hughes and Dawson Mercer all scored for the Devils, who completely dominated the Flyers.
Hughes’ marker came with a stunning breakaway move to cushion New Jersey’s 2-0 lead. Mercer’s goal was the result of a turnover in the neutral zone by Morgan Frost.
Siegenthaler broke the ice with a shot through the traffic.
The Devils poured out four more during the third period to make it a touchdown and an extra point.
“It sucks that he has to eat all seven,” Tortorella said. “That’s part of a process for your No. 2 goalie because Carter didn’t go in there.”
Fourteen different New Jersey players scored a point that night.
Devils goalkeeper Akira Schmid stopped all 23 shots by the Flyers.
• Desnoyers, a 2020 fifth-round draft pick, was rewarded for growth in his freshman year at pro hockey with AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.
Organization is very important to the 21-year-old striker. He plays a game coaches love.
“Played really well down there,” Tortorella said before the game. “Chasing things, playing right, he was one of the best all-around players. I’ve been interested to see him here for a while.”
The Flyers head coach put Desnoyers center stage, with Scott Laughton and Olle Lycksell on his wings.
Desnoyers played 14-plus minutes and was just a minus-1.
“He deserves a chance,” Tortorella said. “Just walking him on the bus, I know he’s really excited. His parents have arrived here.
“I’m not going to make any judgments after the game, good or bad. It is not fair. I’m always excited to see kids play, especially with the situation we’re in in Philly, to see where we’re at a little bit.”
Desnoyers’ parents, Martine Laliberte and David Desnoyers, made the 13.5-hour drive from Prince Edward Island to Newark, a trek that began at 2 a.m. ET.
“They were pretty happy,” said Desnoyers before the game. “My mother is always emotional. I score a goal and she gets emotional.
After the game, Tortorella said the Flyers would send Ersson and Desnoyers back to the Phantoms.
• Wade Allison was beaten late in the third period.
• Nick Seeler and Michael McLeod dropped their gloves in the second period. Pretty good fight.
Seeler is a team-focused, low-cost defender that the competing teams might be eyeing at deadline.
• Cam York was a healthy scratch on the back end.
“Nothing bad, I just wanted to give him a tag,” Tortorella said. “It’s been a bit of a struggle for him lately, he’s been playing a lot of hockey.”
• The Flyers host Rangers in their final game before the close on Wednesday (7:30pm ET/TNT).
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