The record-setting performance of Ilya Bryzgalov and the jump shown by the Flyers' top line were the highlights of last night's otherwise nondescript 3-2 road win in Long Island. Philly did not play as well on a sustained basis as it did in Tuesday's 3-0 home win over the Devils, but the team did enough to skate away with two points in the first segment of their 3-game-in-four-day gauntlet.
In some ways, the early portions of last night's game reminded me of the game in Toronto last Saturday. As a team, the Flyers really did not play all that well defensively, but Bryzgalov was so locked in that the game remained scoreless. Except when the Claude Giroux line was on the ice, the Islanders were the better team for the first eight minutes.
Then the Flyers caught a break. Zac Rinaldo threw a puck at the net from near the corner and it leaked in through Evgeni Nabokov to give the Flyers a 1-0 lead at the 8:41 mark. It was actually the second time this season the Flyers scored a goal like that on Nabokov. The New York netminder allowed a similar soft goal to Wayne Simmonds in the second game of the season series this year.
Rinaldo's lucky goal deflated the Islanders and allowed the Flyers to settle in. They played methodically in building upon their lead over the next two periods.
At the 13:26 mark of the opening period, the Giroux line struck for a goal after several near misses. Jaromir Jagr made a good pass to an open Giroux in the medium slot, and the Flyers' top scorer swept a shot past Nabokov.
Later, at the 7:02 mark of the middle stanza, Kimmo Timonen chipped a puck off the boards to Scott Hartnell, who went off on a breakaway and snapped home a wrist shot from the bottom of the right circle for a 3-0 lead. Giroux's goal (his 26th) and Hartnell's (33rd) are both single-season career highs.
One the Flyers got the lead, they picked up a bit in their defensive game and assisted Bryzgalov in shattering both John Vanbiesbrouck's franchise-record 227:40 shutout minute streak and his own personal best shutout streak set in the 2006 playoffs as a member of the Anaheim (Mighty) Ducks. The Flyers blocked 19 shots in total, 13 by defensemen (four by Braydon Coburn and three apiece by Nicklas Grossman and Timonen led the way). But the consistency of the defensive execution was not always ideal throughout the night.
Having a 3-0 lead enabled Peter Laviolette to roll all four lines -- something that could pay dividends over the weekend -- and the Flyers were able to distribute at least 11 minutes of ice time to all 18 of their skaters. In the big picture, that was far more important than whether Bryzgalov was able to finish out the game with his fourth straight shutout.
I don't think the Flyers necessarily did anything "wrong" on Michael Grabner's goal at the 13:30 mark of the final stanza that brought Bryz's shutout-minute streak to an end after 249:43. It was just hard work and good execution to get the puck at the net and collect a deflection goal in front. No need to over-analyze the play. There are two teams playing out there and even the best clubs can't always impose their will -- offensively or defensively -- on the other side.
The second Islanders goal, scored 35 seconds later, was more concerning. That one was a flat out drop in defensive energy and focus as the most dangerous Islanders forward, John Tavares, got body and stick position on Coburn and Mark Streit (who also assisted on the Grabner goal) had an open lane to pinch in deep and pass the puck in front to Tavares.
With their lead now reduced to one goal, the Flyers did an adequate job of protecting the lead. Bryzgalov (who finished with 29 saves) had to make another few stops. There were a few shifts where Philadelphia really struggled to clear the zone, and there was a near disaster in the final minute when the checkers lost track of Tavares. But there were also several clutch shut blocks and some stellar defensive work turned in by Sean Couturier, who led all Flyers forwards last night with 19:33 of ice time.
Last night, for the second time with the last week, the Flyers did not have a single power play opportunity. The same thing happened in Toronto last Saturday. Philadelphia still managed to collect wins in both games.
Now it's on to Boston for the Flyers. The Bruins have been struggling badly since the All-Star break -- the fifth-seeded Flyers, with 89 points, are actually 6 points ahead of the second-seeded defending Stanley Cup champions. Nevertheless, Boston remains a measuring stick for every other team in the league.
Tomorrow's matinee game in Boston figures to be a physical -- and sometimes dirty -- contest. After that, the Flyers have to turn right around and play a 12:30 game at home against the hottest team in the NHL: the Pittsburgh Penguins.
At least the Penguins, who have 10 games in a row and now have Sidney Crosby back in the lineup, are in the same boat as the Flyers. They'll play tomorrow afternoon in New Jersey.
**********
In Tuesday's game against the Devils, the Claude Giroux line was held off the scoreboard but the Flyers got scoring from other sources. I was hoping that the Danny Briere line would build off its huge third period in that game.
They were OK last night, but the line's play was nothing to write home about, either. Eric Wellwood was the line's most impressive member last night, showing off his blazing speed with the puck on two occasions. Briere finished with two shots on goal last night and Voracek had a nice takeaway in what was otherwise a pretty ordinary collection of 15 shifts for that unit. They'll need to step up over the weekend.
It would also be very helpful if the Flyers could get Wayne Simmonds back onto the scoresheet again soon. He is now 11 games removed from his last goal, and has two assists over that span.
Simmonds has contributed in other ways -- winning board battles, hitting, fighting (as he did again last night, battling Matt Martin to a draw or narrow loss). But the Flyers could use another offensive hot streak from him over the remainder of the stretch drive and especially during the playoffs.
**********
Use coupon code "FlyersBuzz" on
HockeyTickets.ca between now and the end of the regular season to receive a 10% discount on all ticket orders over $150 and also have a chance to win two free lower-level seats to a Flyers regular season game of your choice at the Wells Fargo Center.
KINDLE USERS: Please sign up for Flyers Buzz. For more information click here.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
Join the Discussion:
»