|
Wrap: Flyers Ground Jets, 2-1 |
|
|
|
|
|
WRAP: FLYERS GROUND JETS, 2-1
A determined Philadelphia Flyers team bounced back from a heartbreaking outcome to Thursday's 3-2 loss in Boston to grind out a high-quality 2-1 win over a very good Winnipeg Jets team at the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday afternoon. The win ended a five-game winless streak for Philadelphia (0-4-1) that opened the month of March.
In many ways, the Flyers built off good things they did in the Boston game. Good gaps and puck pressure -- both on the forecheck and via back pressure -- benefited the Flyers in this game. The team outshot Winnipeg in all three periods and forced Winnipeg into 18 recorded turnovers (11 charged giveaways to the Jets, 7 credited Flyers takeaways).
"You need to get that result. It’s deflating when you play hard. We played hard in Boston and there are some things we could have done better and like I said we tried to address those and clean them up. We came back today and we played really hard. When you get the result it is a lot easier to carry that energy and that positive energy as you go forward," Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol said.
"It doesn’t mean there aren’t things out of this game that we still have to clean up because there are. So we will do that. We will address that. We needed the two points. Just looking at the standings, we needed it. It was a good win for us to get headed in the right direction not just having good efforts.”
The Flyers power play went 0-for-2 and did not look good in doing so, but did score on a 6-on-5 via a delayed penalty. The Philadelphia penalty kill was 3-for-4 overall but looked excellent on the first three kills and strong even on the fourth until giving up the game's lone Winnipeg goal.
"The numbers don’t really indicate it, but I think we’re aware of what we need to be doing, we addressed a lot of things throughout the year and I thought the last little bit we’ve done a nice job, we have given up a few goals here and there but I think it’s come a long way," defenseman Andrew MacDonald said of the team's recent overall signs of improvement on the PK.
Claude Giroux (24th goal of the season) gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead on a delayed penalty against the Jets to break a scoreless tie 25:40 into the game. Andrew MacDonald (5th) made it 2-0 on a play that was initially ruled no goal but quickly corrected on a replay called from the Situation Room in Toronto. Valtteri Filppula (21st assist of the season), Wayne Simmonds (18th assist), Nolan Patrick (13th assist), Jakub Voracek (58th assist).
Petr Mrazek returned to the net for the Flyers after being rested in Thursday's game in Boston and taking a day off on Friday. He brought his A-game in stopping 27 of 28 shots and tracking pucks well in the process.
Patrik Laine (power play, 40th goal of the season) broke up Mrazek's shutout bid as the third period moved near the midway point. Blake Wheeler (58th assist of the season), Paul Stastny (33rd assist) collected assists.
Connor Hellebuyck played well in goal for the Jets, stopping 33 of 35 Flyers shots. He even made a save on the MacDonald goal, but his glove was inside the net at the time.
"I didn’t know, I was actually more mad because I missed it on the rebound after it came out of his glove," MacDonald said of his game-winning goal. "I thought I should have had that one and then I went to the bench and G mentioned that it was in. Within seconds, they blew the horn. It's obviously a nice feeling to be able to chip in like that."
The Flyers did a good job of closing out the game in the third period, although Laine capitalized on a Travis Konecny tripping penalty and there were a few anxious moments on a late 6-on-5 for the Jets with Hellebuyck pulled for an extra attacker.
"We had a tough stretch and we couldn’t find ways to win and it was a good test for us, Winnipeg are a pretty good team and I think we played a responsible game tonight," Giroux said. "After Boston, we got together. We talked about it, that we can’t let it phase us. we knew we played a good game in Boston, we put ourselves in a great position at the end to get at least one point and they got that lucky goal. We moved on and hopefully a game like this can get us going."
Among the supporting cast for Philadelphia, Jori Lehterä had a particularly strong game. He won a slew of puck battles in all three zones, came up with a few needed defensive zone clears and was strong in helping the club close out the game with a lead in the final stanza.
“He does so many good little things. I said it the other day. He just goes out and does his job every single day. His game is becoming more and more effective it seems like every game. I thought tonight he was an effective player," Hakstol said.
"He has an ability. He is very detailed no matter the number of minutes he plays. No matter if it’s five on five or a little bit of PK, or full blown PK which he has been for us as of late. Guys like that in the dressing room and on the bench are invaluable. They go out onto the ice and do everything right and that helps build the confidence of your team.”
Two hours prior to the game, Flyers general manager Ron Hextall announced that defenseman Robert Hägg is out two weeks with a lower-body injury. Veteran defenseman Johnny Oduya is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Recalled on Friday afternoon from the AHL's Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Travis Sanheim was in the Flyers' starting lineup. He skated on a pair with Andrew MacDonald.
Sanheim played a strong two-way-game. He turned defensive into offense several times and, in general, looked like a more confident and instinctual player. Overall, he skated just 12:42 of ice time across 16 shifts -- this was partially because he doesn't play special teams much yet at the NHL level and partially a reflection of the close score in the third period. However, 15 of his 16 shifts were solid to very good.
"I think having a good gap and having a good stick and being aggressive when the right circumstances come. Tonight I broke up a few plays and then turned it and went the other way. I want to continue to keep that in my game," Sanheim said.
Hakstol was pleased with the young defenseman's work.
“Travis just looked like a guy who got his game back a little bit and that’s the benefit of being able to go down and play strong minutes down there in different situations. That’s all a credit to him. It’s all how you handle the assignment going back there. He dug in immediately from what I am told from day one and played extremely well right from the start down there. Like I said, it just looks like a guy who absolutely has his game back. He is a good player for us tonight and he helped us win," Hakstol said.
With the Jets already a bit injury-depleted on the blueline. Tobias Enström was a late scratch for Winnipeg. Tucker Poolman was inserted into the lineup. The Flyers did a good job of pressuring the depth-challenged defense corps throughout the game.
Flyers' top line right wing Travis Konecny played his usual high-energy game. He had a couple of discipline lapses with the puck and in terms of taking two penalties, including one in the third period. Hakstol spoke to the young forward in the locker room after the game. .
Said Hakstol, “I won’t get into my conversation with him a whole lot. There are a lot of those conversations that go on with individual players. I guess you guys beat me into the room tonight. So that’s just how it is. I don’t want to get into it too much in terms of what I talked about. Obviously one of the things you guys are focused on the penalty he took. But there are just little parts of the game this time of the year that get ramped up. It’s not just him. It’s our entire team. There are things out of this game that we can take and hopefully build and get better from.”
Although Oskar Lindblom's NHL career has opened with 10 pointless games, the second line left winger continued to be in the thick of several scoring chances. He was strong on the walls, fought for real estate below and inside the dots, and applied solid back pressure defensively.
"Absolutely, especially when you look back at Boston and you start thinking when is one going to go in for this young guy. Sometimes you start to see young guys start to squeeze it a little bit if they don’t score. You don’t see that in Oskar. He just continues to do things the right way and this time of year it’s about winning your puck battles," Hakstol said.
"Making good smart plays with the puck. Being in spots where you are going to get good offensive opportunities and going to the hard areas and he does all of those things. So he is going to get one soon enough and until he does he continues to be good and strong player for us.”
1ST PERIOD SYNOPSIS
The Jets went to the attack immediately in the first 15 seconds. A Kyle Connor shot landed on the side of the net and a scramble ensued with the dangerous Wheeler having a crack right in front of the blue paint.
Sanheim made a good lead pass to Travis Konecny, who set up a one-timer try for Couturier from the right circle. Couturier whiffed. On the next shift, the snakebitten Oskar Lindblom deflected a puck on net from inside the hash marks but Hellebuyck fought it off.
The game's first good hit was a clean check by Radko Gudas on Brandon Tanev on the Flyers' side of center ice. Brandon Manning fired a shot from the left circle that went off Hellebuyck's glove at out of 3:06.
Ben Chiarot landed a solid hit on Matt Read. Sanheim stood up his man at the red line and nicely poke-checked the puck into the Winnipeg zone. Shots were 3-2 Flyers through 5:30.
Bryan Little moved across the right circle and teed up a one-time for Patrik Laine; he didn't get all of it and Mrazek snapped the puck up with the glove at 5:56.
Off a clean offensive right faceoff win by Giroux, Sanheim snapped off a center point shot that produced a momentary rebound after Hellebuyck couldn't handle it cleanly. At the end of the shift, MacDonald put an unscreened right point shot on goal. A TV timeout ensued at 6:36 with shots now 5-3 in Philly's favor.
Sanheim intercepted a pass at the Flyers blueline. Jori Lehterä took the puck the other way but was checked off it just inside the Winnipeg blueline. On the next shift, Paul Stastny went to the net on a give-and-go and the feed to him narrowly missed connections.
Dustin Byfuglien tripped up Gostisbehere along the right side wall in the Jets' zone. The Flyers went on the game's first power play at 8:56. Sloppy puck management was all that came of the Flyers' first unit's time on the first minute. The second unit got set up in the final 20 second and beyond the penalty's expiration. Patrick had two shots from the left circle stopped by Hellebyck. The latter was held for a stoppage and TV timeout at 11:03.
Mrazek plucked a Josh Morrissey left point shot with 8:05 remaining in the period. At the other end after Patrick won the defensive zone draw, Lindblom got up slowly after a hit and went to the bench behind the play. He was OK.
The Sean Couturier line was unable to capitalize on a pair of Winnipeg defensive zone turnovers. At the other end, Giroux broke up a play inside the Flyers' blueline.
Ivan Provorov bailed out partner Shayne Gostisbehere's turnover behind the net by breaking up a feed out in front. Shortly thereafter, Michael Raffl gained the zone off a Valtteri Filppula pass and snapped a routine left circle shot on goal. A TV timeout followed at 16:29. Shots were 10-8 in the Flyers' favor.
Mrazek poke-checked a dangerous developing play in front to safety. Then, with 1:31 left, he stopped Nikolaj Ehlers in close. In the final minute, Gostisbehere passed over the middle to Lehterä for a snap shot on goal.
2ND PERIOD SYNOPSIS
In the opening minute of the period, Voracek. At the 57-second mark, Wheeler tripped Provorov as the Flyers' defenseman skated by him toward the net on a pinch. The Flyers got their second power play. With the first unit out, Giroux lost a puck and Joel Armia and Morrissey went the other way on a two-on-one against Gostisbehere. Mrazek stopped first an Armia shot from the left circle and then Morrissey's jam-in attempt on a followup.
At 3:16, Mrazek stopped a scorching point shot by Chiarot cleanly with Wheeler lurking on the doorstep. About 40 seconds later, Matt Read claimed a turnover in the neutral zone and went for a backhander try.
On a delayed stick-slashing penalty on Winnipeg, the Flyers took a 1-0 lead at 5:40. Giroux inched to the faceoff dot from the half boards and fired a wrist shot through a Simmonds screen. The assists went to Filppula and Simmonds.
One shift later, Konecny took a drop pass from Gostisbehere in the right circle and fired a shot on net. The puck rattled in front and was nearly forced over the goal line. A TV timeout followed at 6:31. Shots were 7-5 in the period in Philly's favor.
MacDonald and Voracek worked a give-and-go with 12:23 left in the period. Hellebuyck stopped MacDonald's re-direct in front. The Patrick line continued to pressure. Hellebuyck made what was initially ruled a (10-bell glove) save as MacDonald batted an aerial puck at the post at 11:59. Play continued until the Situation Room in Toronto called for a stoppage and review. A replay immediately showed that Hellebuyck's glove was well inside the net, so it was a good goal. Patrick and Voracek got the assists on MacDonald's goal as the Flyers took a 2-1 lead. The clock was reset to 11:59.
The Jets went to their first power play at 8:59 as Konecny's hook-release-hook-release on Laine's stick and glove in the Philly zone was penalized. On a shorthanded attempt off a feed from Raffl, Filppula ran out of room and decided to rag time off the clock. Couturier did something similar later when he saw he did not have a lane. As the penalty expired, Mrazek made a clean glove save on Ehlers on a left slot shot off a pass from Tyler Myers.
Pressure from Lindblom on the forecheck led to a Voracek takeaway on the Winnipeg first pass but an initially promising play fizzled out. At the other end, Mrazek had to be at his acrobatic best on a series of three scoring chances for Winnipeg. On the best of the chances, Little missed the net from the right side.
A TV timeout occurred with 13:24 left in the frame. Shots were 11-9 Flyers for the period.
The Manning-Gudas pairing and Filppula line appeared beaten on a rush but Gudas erased it by blocking a Connor shot and knocking him to the ice.
Lehterä was engaged in a puck battle in the defensive right circle with a forechecking Laine and took a tripping penalty at 15:43. Couturier and Provorov had a shorthanded 2-on-1 and Couturier did everything but score as he jammed away at the puck in front but could not get it home before it came out and Winnipeg went back the other way. Philly killed the rest in good shape.
Konecny was nearly freight-trained by Byfuglien on a rush up the wing; barely avoiding the hit as Byfuglien (now way out of position) had his own momentum take over the blueline. Then Konecny was knocked down on an apparent slew foot, without getting a call. He slammed his stick in the ice, got up and drilled Laine with an open ice hit.
Just before time expired, a pinching MacDonald tried for his second goal of the period. He was turned away.
3RD PERIOD SYNOPSIS
Gudas took a delay of game penalty at 32-seconds for a backhanded puck flip over the glass from the defensive zone. Philly did a good job at clogging the lanes. Raffl read a centering pass an important clear. The penalty was again killed effectively.
A Gostisbehere own-zone turnover and lost coverage resulted in a defensive scramble and a Chiarot chance in front that Manning blocked with 16:32 remaining. Mrazek froze the puck.
After an outlet pass by Sanheim sent the Flyers through the neutral zone with speed, the Flyers got a forecheck going in deep. Lehterä won a battle behind the net and fed in front for a good chance for Read.
With 12:46 left, Filppula had a foray on the rush. Winnipeg played an aerial puck near their net with a high stick. Play was whistled dead.
After multiple infractions both ways were let by officials, Konecny was called on a blatant center ice trip of Ehlers at 8:26. It was accidental, as Ehlers stepped on Konency's stick, but Konecny could have played things better in the neutral zone. The Jets went on their 4th power play. The result was a scorching one-timer goal by Laine from the left circle off a cross-ice feed by Wheeler to narrow the gap to 2-1 at 8:58. The secondary assist went to Stastny.
After a blast by Laine from the deep slot rattled wide of the net, the puck caromed right out to Ehlers on the right side at a severe angle. Mrazek recovered and made a key save with 8:49 left in the third period. Shots were 5-4 Winnipeg at this point.
Winnipeg won a lengthy 50-50 puck battle behind their net but promptly turned the puck over. Filppula nearly surprised Hellebuyck with a quick backhander. On the next shift, Giroux had a 2-on-1 counterattack with Gostisbehere, shooting from the right circle. Hellebuyck left out a fat rebound but with Ghost skating past the net rather than stopping in front, there were no Flyers there to stash it home.
With 3:30 left, Hellebuyck made a good stop on a Voracek shot from the right circle. Shots were 9-6 Flyers at this point.
Lehterä made a good defensive play to seal off a passing lane after the Flyers failed to get the puck out of the defensive zone up the right wing.
In the final 90 seconds, the Jets pulled Hellebuyck for an extra attacker. There were some scary moments for the Flyers after a failed clear and a loose puck near the right post but the Flyers finally clamped down and bottled up Winnipeg until time expired.
Third period shots were 9-8 Flyers (35-38 Flyers overall). The Flyers will have an 11 a.m. practice on Sunday and then host the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
Join the Discussion:
»