A 7th straight loss and another injury for pressing Flyers

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Chuck Fletcher called it "a massive week" for the Flyers to get their "house in order."

The house got messier Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden before the Flyers try to clean it up over the next three days. The Flyers suffered another injury and loss in a 4-1 decision to the Rangers, their seventh consecutive defeat.

Right as they welcomed back Kevin Hayes to their lineup, the Flyers (8-9-4) lost Joel Farabee to an upper-body injury during the first period. The hockey gods haven't done the Flyers any favors on the health front.

Alain Vigneault's club will cross its fingers that Farabee's injury isn't long term. The Flyers are having a brutal time putting the puck in the net. Since Oct. 30, they've scored only 1.67 goals per game.

Wednesday night was the Flyers' first of four meetings with the Rangers (14-4-3) this season.

• The Flyers are pressing big time. They've had their chances but can't bury a goal.

And that tends to happen when a team falls deep into a losing skid. That's why these spirals can be dangerous.

"Doing this 30 years, you can see when players are frustrated and lack confidence and you can see when players don't believe. There's a big difference," Fletcher said Tuesday as the general manager met the media at the quarter mark of the season. "We still believe, we've got a lot of work to do and that's where our mindset is at."

The Flyers recorded 34 shots Wednesday night but scored only one goal — a tap-in marker from Morgan Frost while they were already trailing 3-0.

The Flyers haven't scored more than three goals in a game since Oct. 27, a span of 16 contests.

Losing Farabee for any extended period of time would be such a blow for the Flyers. They really can't afford to lose more pieces, especially a goal-scoring one like Farabee.

Update: Desperate for offense and a win, Flyers must find a way without Farabee

Wade Allison, the 24-year-old winger with a big shot, was activated off of season-opening injured reserve on Wednesday. He's with the Phantoms and could possibly play games for Lehigh Valley this weekend.

One would think the starved Flyers are going to call Allison's number right when he's ready. His strengths are exactly what the Flyers are missing.

• The Flyers' power play went 0 for 3.

Early in the second period, with Dryden Hunt called for charging against Justin Braun and handed a game misconduct, the Flyers had a five-minute man advantage opportunity. They put eight shots on New York netminder Igor Shesterkin but couldn't crack him.

The faulty power play was, understandably, a notable topic of conversation Tuesday when Fletcher fielded questions about his struggling club.

The Flyers are 5 for their last 57 on the man advantage.

• Carter Hart made 24 saves on 27 shots. Goaltending is not the Flyers' problem right now.

The Rangers' first goal was on the power play 3:41 minutes into the game. Jacob Trouba sent a blast through a ton of traffic.

Hunt scored later in the first period to extend New York's lead to 2-0. Thirty-four seconds into the second period, with no Farabee, the Flyers fell down 3-0 and were in trouble.

Shesterkin entered with a 2.22 goals-against average and .933 save percentage. He finished with 33 saves and improved to 12-3-2.

• Frost was a threat throughout the game and finished with four shots along with his first goal since November 2019.

Hayes went scoreless in his return but was able to play 19:49 minutes.

Oskar Lindblom played only 7:43 minutes.

• The Flyers have three days before their next game Sunday against the Lightning at the Wells Fargo Center (6 p.m. ET/NBCSP). As Fletcher noted, they need the practice time.

The matchup with two-time defending champion Tampa Bay starts a stretch of five games in seven days for the Flyers.

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