Two games, two wins. Who would have thought? The Flyers erased a two-goal deficit after some choppy moments throughout the contest Saturday. Let’s wrap on all that took place in the late afternoon matinee.
First period
Minus: Vancouver’s tic-tac-toe zone exit at the 1:34 mark of the period led to forward Brock Boeser finding a cutting Kyle Burroughs for a rush. Burroughs’ then skated down the wing side where he wired a puck bar-down to beat Carter Hart to open the scoring. Hart didn’t look particularly good on the shot, and it may have even hit the back of defensemen’s Nick Seeler’s skate, but alas, the Flyers found themselves in an early hole for the second straight game.
Minus: In a somewhat reversal of fortunes from the home opener, the Flyers ended up going 0-for-3 in the opening frame on the power-play.
Plus: Wade Allison continues to be a noticeable presence on the forecheck and in the net-front position for the Flyers. Early in the contest, the 25-year-old ended up with a few good looks at the net simply by wreaking havoc around Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko.
Minus: At the 14:12 mark of the period, the Canucks capitalized on the Flyers losing their coverage after Scott Laughton handed off a pass to a covered Kevin Hayes. Conor Garland ended up with a wide-open shot at Carter Hart and he didn’t miss as a result. The tally was Garland’s first of the season.
Second period
Plus: They say the two-goal lead is the toughest to hold in hockey. The next goal is usually critical in the contest and this time, it served the Flyers with the goal. On the team’s fifth power play attempt, defensemen Tony DeAngelo flipped a hard, high-rising shot towards the Canucks net and with Travis Konecny and James Van Riemsdyk providing screens, the puck ended up beating Demko. The Sewell, New Jersey native’s goal was his first for his hometown Flyers and overall, he’s been decent at both ends of the rink to start the season.
Plus: The turning point of the period came during a Flyers penalty kill. At 17:49 mark, Justin Braun aggressively closed in on JT Miller while Scott Laughton swooped in to overtake the puck. Miller, under duress from Laughton, threw the disc to the middle of the ice where Travis Konency then collected it and surveyed the ice. From there, Konecny alertly banked the puck down the ice off the boards to Laughton for the breakaway bid. Laughton then picked his corner and beat Demko glove side to tie the game at two apiece.
Third Period
Plus: At the 7:11 mark of the final frame, Flyers’ enforcer Nic Deslauriers gave Curtis Lazar a rough ride on a thunderous hit. Kyle Burroughs approached Deslauriers and the two dropped the gloves. It was a well-timed fight for Philadelphia, as Vancouver was dictating play to that point.
Plus: In the season opener, Travis Konecny led the way offensively for the Flyers and today, he was equally as stellar. Already with a primary assist to his name on the day, Konecny scored on a sneaky wraparound play where the Canucks left him unguarded before he slammed home the game-winner from behind their net.
Quick Hits
- Tony DeAngelo led all Flyers skaters in ice-time with 27:11
- In his second consecutive start, Carter Hart slammed the door shut on the opposition in the third period. He made 28 saves on 30 shots for the game in this one.
- John Tortorella continues to lean heavily on Noah Cates in critical situations. Tonight, the Minnesota native led all Philadelphia forwards in short-handed ice time with 5:10.
Tortorella on the similarities between Konecny and Cam Atkinson via Jordan Hall
What’s Next
The Flyers head out to the Sunshine State for a three-game road trip against the Lightning and Panthers before heading to Nashville. They’ll meet the Lightning on Tuesday night on ESPN, 7:00 p.m. puck drop.
