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Wrap: Flyers Dominate Weary Canes, Rescue 4-3 OT Win |
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WRAP: FLYERS DOMINATE WEARY CANES, RESCUE 4-3 OT WIN
Heading into Sunday's night's game at the Wells Fargo Center, the Philadelphia Flyers set out to jump quickly on a tired Carolina Hurricanes team. Philadelphia, which had back-to-back nights off was playing a Canes team in its fifth game in seven nights. This was essentially the reverse situation of last Thursday's game in New Jersey, when a well-rested Devils team was playing a Flyers club that was in its fourth game in six nights.
The Flyers dominated most of this game. They controlled the territorial play, pushed the pace, doubled up the Canes on shots (42-21) and got strong performances from multiple lines. Moreover, goalie Steve Mason stopped everything he had a realistic chance to save.
"You want to play fast and try to make that defense turn. We know how hard that is. You’re playing back-to-backs, your legs just aren’t there, so we want to play fast. I thought our defense did a great job of getting it to the forwards real quick in the first period and just trying to grind them down," Flyers forward Dale Weise said.
Even so, it took a final-minute comeback on a fortunate bounce off a Carolina defender -- essentially evening out an earlier unlucky bounce off the end boards that led to the Canes' first goal-- to force overtime. The Flyers had led 2-0, saw the Canes score the next three goals and then Philly pulled even at 3-3. In overtime, Brayden Schenn potted a Sean Couturier rebound to rescue a 4-3 win.
“That’s the game, they made a couple plays. The first one was the bounce of the puck, their defenseman gets his eyes up. He makes a good play and every once in a while you get a good bounce, and they got a good bounce and finished that off. The second goal, we were just a little slow in our coverage. It wasn’t a major breakdown down there, we were just a little bit slow, they made a play and their release on that shot was, I mean he made a hell of a play. What I like the most was that 6 or 7 minutes at the end of the second period they kind of turned the momentum, we kind of got away from what we had been doing all game," Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol said.
"I thought we got back to it right away early in the third period, and that’s the most important thing. Like I said, the players did a great job. They got back to it in a tough situation when you’re down by one after that type of a game, but again they stuck with it through and it turned our way.”
Ivan Provorov enjoyed a three-point game (one goal, two assists) while logging 24:14 of ice time. Dale Weise and Travis Konecny also scored in regulation. Couturier collected three assists. Mason stopped 19 of 22 shots in a performance that was better than his stat line.
Schenn opined that linemate Couturier played one of his best games of the season.
"He was good right from the drop of the puck tonight. He had a chance with a good stick, opening shift for him. Good on the forecheck and made a lot of plays. Held onto the puck. He’s playing with a lot of confidence right now, obviously not only offensively but defensively as well. He’s playing well for us and that’s what we need right now," Schenn said.
For Carolina, Cam Ward was outstanding despite yielding four goals on 44 shots. He more or less stole a point for his tired team in conjunction with opportunistic goals by Jeff Skinner, Elias Lindholm (a snipe of a goal) and a Jordan Staal power play tally.
1ST PERIOD
The teams traded off wide open chances in the opening half minute. Sean Couturier intercepted a puck on an errant Jaccob Slavin pass inside the Carolina zone but his wrist shot was knocked aside by Ward. At the other end, a 2-on-1 developed and Mason stoned Sebastian Aho in close. At 2:11, Mason stopped Derek Ryan from the middle slot.
Ward came out of his net to cut down the angle and make a clean save on a Shayne Gostibehere blast from above the left circle. Shots at 4:33 were 5-2 in Philly's favor. On the next shift, a Travis Konecny wrister trickled beyond Ward (who looked back to try to find the puck) but did not dribble over the line. Shots were 6-2 through a Carolina offside at 7:28.
Jordan Weal had a good scoring chance off a Jeff Skinner giveaway near the blueline that was awfully close to being an offside play. If he had scored, Carolina coach Bill Peters most likely would have challenged the goal. As it was, play went on.
After a good pinch by Radko Gudas to keep the puck alive on the right boards, Chris VandeVelde re-directed a puck in front. Ward made the save, as the puck did not severely change direction. Shots at a TV timeout at 13:45 were 9-3 in Philly's favor.
On the next shift, the disparity in shots grew to 11-3; including a tough deflection save by Ward on Wayne Simmonds and then a save through traffic.
The Flyers grabbed a 1-0 lead with 57.8 seconds left in the period. After Couturier won a battle behind the net, the puck went out to Andrew MacDonald at the right point. Taking a pass from his defense partner, Provorov skated in a stride. From the top of the left circle, the rookie ripped a shot that beat Ward upstairs to the short side for his sixth goal.
Philly had another good scoring chance late in the period but the Claude Giroux line was unable to find the net. First period shots were 15-4 in the Flyers' favor.
2ND PERIOD
The Flyers had the early puck control and first two shots of the second period. Carolina's Lee Stempniak had a good scoring chance from the slot a little over two minutes in, but missed the net. Radko Gudas then broke up what initially appeared to be a developing chance for the Canes.
Second period shots were 4-0 Flyers through a stoppage at 4:14. The Flyers won the ensuing right circle faceoff and applied pressure. Simmonds then laid a good hit on Justin Faulk in the corner late in the shift. Carolina iced the puck. Valtteri Filppula won the next draw, but a Jakuv Voracek shot was blocked. Carolina remained hemmed in until finally relieving the pressure. Shots for the game were 20-4 (5-0 in the period) through six minutes.
Philly went right back to the attack until Matt Read was called for a goalie interference penalty that Ward cinched with a bit of salesmanship. Carolina went to the game's first power play at 7:11.
The Canes generated early offensive zone time and a few point shot attempts but missed the net. Mason made a side-angle save (third save of the period) and the Flyers PK took care of the rest in good shape.
After the Flyers got back to full-strength, Schenn was narrowly denied on a deflection and Giroux attempted a pair of one-timers. Schenn then got stopped on a wraparound. The Flyers changed to the Filppula line and went right back to the attack.
Konency, creating time and space as he wheeled around leg-weary defenders centered the puck from the right circle. The defense knocked at it, but Filppula got the puck directly to Weise, who stashed home his fourth goal of the season from point blank range for a 2-0 lead at the 11:03 mark. A secondary assist originally credited
Shots were now 25-8 for the game. A broken pane of glass discovered by the Flyers net provided a lengthy respite for the Canes.
A fortunate bounce of the puck off the end boards gave the Canes their first goal on their 10th shot of the game. Skinner, from the right post, had a virtual tap-in as Noah Hanifin's left point shot caromed off the end boards and kicked directly to an open Skinner (26th goal) at 12:37. Teuvo Teräväinen got the secondary assist.
The Flyers had a couple of bad shifts after the Skinner goal. Later, Ward made a good save on a Schenn tip. Shots for the period were 11-7 through 17 minutes.
Carolina tied the game at 2-2 with 1:04 left in the second period. This one was more of a breakdown. Provorov got outnumbered behind the defensive net. After Phillip DiGiussepe centered out to Elias Lindholm in the deep slot, Lindholm got rid of the puck in a blink and roofed his 9th goal of the season over Mason's glove. Victor Rask got the secondary assist.
Shots in the second period were 13-9 in Philly's favor; 28-13 overall.
3RD PERIOD
Mason made a tough skate save on Rask in the opening 30 seconds. The Flyers got their first power play as DiGiussepe grabbed Del Zotto behind the Carolina net at 58 seconds.With 38 seconds left on the 5-on-4, the Flyers got a two-man advantage as Aho chipped the puck over the glass for a delay of game penalty.
On the 5-on-3, Simmonds was unable to bang in a Giroux rebound in front and Gostisbehere had a perimeter shot stopped by Ward for his 31st save. During the 5-on-4, the second unit's Del Zotto had a shot attempt snuffed out. The opportunity passed.
Bidding for his second goal, Weise was unable to pot a Del Zotto rebound. Shots were 6-1 Flyers (35-14 overall) through seven minutes. Two shifts later, Mason fought off a very heavy Faulk point shot through layers of traffic to keep the game tied at 2-2.
A big scrum developed near the Carolina net at 10:27. Sean Couturier's slashing minor was the lone penalty. Carolina went to its second power play. The Canes swarmed and flurried. Finally, a pair of touch passes in close were finished off by Jordan Staal (15th). Lindholm and Aho got the assists at 11:40. The shot was Carolina's 18th of the game.
With 4:20 left, Mason stoned a wide-open Hanifin from point blank range. It was his 17th save. Giroux fired over the net with 2:45 left from the right circle but the Flyers got an offensive zone draw. Aho got the box at 17:15 for using his hand in the faceoff circle.
As play ticked into the final minute, the Flyers got the game knotted. An attempted Konecny centering pass from behind the net went off a defender and into the net for his 11th goal. Provorov got the lone assist at 19:17.
Third period shots were 13-8 in the Flyers' favor (42-21 overall).
OVERTIME
Mason made a save on Staal off the rush at the 17-second mark of the 3-on-3 overtime.
Couturier nearly won the game, taking the puck hard to the net. He didn't but Schenn immediately pounced on the rebound and stashed home the game-winning goal (22nd of the season) at the 38-second mark. Provorov got the secondary assist.
Shots were 2-1 Flyers (44-22 overall). The Flyers, now 21-11-4 at home, head out on the road for the next four games. Philly is 12-19-4 on the road this season.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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