Deafening cheers reverberated around the Wells Fargo Center as Super Bowl-bound Eagles coach Doug Pederson dropped the ceremonial first puck Thursday night before the Flyers faced Tampa Bay.
They would be the loudest cheers of the night.
Tampa Bay, the NHL’s top team, erupted for three second-period goals en route to a 5-1 win, snapping the Flyers’ four-game winning streak.
All-star goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy made 36 saves to improve his record to 29-9-2. A late goal by Travis Konecny prevented him from collecting his eighth shutout of the season.
Despite the loss, the Flyers (24-17-8) arrive at the all-star break in a playoff spot thanks to a stunning 16-6-1 turnaround since they lost 10 straight.