Wrap: Flyers Get One Point, Lose Marathon Shootout to Toronto
For the second straight night, 65 minutes were not enough to settle a game for the Philadelphia Flyers. On Saturday, one night after defeating the New Jersey Devils in Newark, 4-3 (1-0), the Flyers dropped a marathon 11-round shootout, 4-3 (2-1), to the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Wells Fargo Center.
The Flyers are 6-5-2 through 13 games. Toronto improved to 7-5-3 through 15.
Saturday's game was vastly more entertaining than Friday's match, despite the Flyers coming out on the short end of the skills competition. The Maple Leafs controlled the first period, especially the first 10 minutes, but the Flyers subsequently gained momentum via the power play. In the second period, the Flyers got their forecheck established and took over the game. Philly had generally had the better of play in the third period, although the Leafs were scary in transition with their speed.
"There were a lot of things to like about tonight’s game. It started off a little slow, but when you start off that way on back to back nights, you need goaltending. And we got goaltending. Brian gave us a chance to find our legs and find our execution and I thought in the second and third period we were the better team," Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault said.
"The power play obviously had in my mind a lot to do with us getting some momentum in this game. Overall, we played real well in the second and third, we had a power play in overtime where we had a couple of good looks, and 11 shooters later and we come up a goal short. You have to like the way our guys competed and looked tonight."
Ivan Provorov (power play, 3rd), Claude Giroux (power play, 3rd) and Travis Sanheim (1st) scored in regulation for Philly. Giroux (6th assist), Jakub Voracek (6th and 7th), Sean Couturier (6th) and Oskar Lindblom (4th) chipped in assists for the Flyers.
Kasperi Kapanen (4th), Jason Spezza (1st) and Mitch Marner (4th) tallied in regulation for Toronto. Morgan Rielly (12th), Spezza (3rd), Ilya Mikheyev (7th) and Kapanen (6th) had assists. Marner's goal in transition was unassisted.
In the shootout, neither team scored through seven rounds. In the eighth round, Travis Konecny scored through the five hole but Spezza answered. Neither team scored in round 9 or 10. In the bottom of round 11, Andreas Johnsson ended it.
Brian Elliott stopped 23 of 26 shots in regulation and overtime and then 9 of 11 in the shootout. For Toronto, Frederik Andersen denied 37 of 40 Flyers offerings in regulation and OT. He then went 10 for 11 in the shootout.
The Flyers went 2-for-6 on the power play, and 2-for-2 on the penalty kill.
The Maple Leafs brought a heavy early forecheck, recording 10 of the game's first 11 shots in slightly less than half of a period. Voracek helped prevent an early potential Leafs goal with a good backchecking play to break up a back-door pass.
For the third straight game, Travis Sanheim stumbled on his skates defending a rush and the puck ended up in the Flyers' net a few moments later as Kapanen scored off the rush at 5:55. Rielly and Spezza got the helpers.
"I would love to figure that one out. I am a pretty good skater so I can’t say I’ve ever had a stretch where three straight games where I fall, and it ends up in the back of my net so hopefully I can figure that out here pretty shortly. It’s tough to see those," Sanheim said.
Puck luck was on the Flyers' side after Toronto took a too many men on the ice penalty at 14:47 (their first of two in the game), and the Flyers cashed in on the power play 15 seconds later. Provorov's center-point shot pinballed into the net off Mitch Marner and Morgan Rielly to draw the Flyers' even at 1-1. The double-deflection itself was sheer good fortune for the Flyers but was preceded by sharp puck movement and a shot by Provorov with traffic in front. Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek got the helpers.
The Flyers held Toronto to 2 shots over the final 10 minutes of the opening period with the final five minutes being by far the strongest. First period shot attempts were 21 (12-6-3) to 9 (5-2-2) in Toronto's favor.
The Flyers got their own forechecking cranking and applying pressure throughout a largely dominant second period. Joel Farabee alone had at least three good looks at the net. Toronto also took some very undisciplined penalties; including high-sticking (Spezza) and cross-checking penalties (Rielly) with the Flyers leading 2-1. However, a late Toronto goal knotted up the score again.
The Giroux power play unit stepped up big again early in the second period, a the Flyers captain dangled and took the puck to the house from the left circle and in and beat Andersen for a 2-1 lead at 3:12. The assists went to Provorov and Voracek.
With 2:05 left in the period, after waves of Flyers pressure, puck luck swung the other way as Spezza knotted the game on a puck that (with assistance from Toronto's Ilya Mikheyev as they jockied in front) went off Sanheim's skate and stick and crept toward the goal line and Spezza got it over.
Second period shots were 16-7 in the Flyers favor.
"We were skating, they were having trouble breaking out like we did in the first period. Got to give them credit, they skated well. They are a really dangerous team with a lot of skilled players and it was a good game to watch," Voracek said.
Not much has been going Sanheim's way of late. So it had to feel good for him to have an opportunity to pinch in, swoop around the net and follow his own rebound to give the Flyers a 3-2 lead just 31 seconds into the third period. His whoop of joy when the puck left no doubt. Couturier and Lindblom received the assists.
"On our bench when he scored that goal, it was funny. Three or four guys sitting in front of me said, 'Watch him skate now.' Obviously, he is feeling a little bit of heat, pressure. We need him to be the player that he can be. He is fighting it right now. He is going through some growing pains. When he comes out of it, I am very confident that he is going to be a very useful player for this team," Vigneault said of Sanheim.
The Flyers controlled the majority of play in the third period. However, during a 4-on-4, a turnover between the bluelines on a puck exchange between Couturier and Travis Konecny sent Marner off to races. The jet-propelled Toronto forward beat Matt Niskanen off the rush, got Elliott overcommitted to the right post, swooped around behind the net and scored on the wraparound at 5:03.
Third period shots favored the Flyers, 11-5.
"I think, when we support each other well, we’re on top of guys, we create turnovers then again I think the power play kind of gave us momentum, a few goals and got us back in the game I think that’s kind of what got us going," Couturier said.
In overtime, Lindblom was tripped up by Kapanen in the Toronto zone on the first shift, giving Philly a 4-on-3 power play for two minutes. Subsequently, both teams traded off chances, including a Marner opportunity at one end and a Konecny chance at the other. Overtime shots were 8-2 in Philly's favor.
That set the stage for the shootout. Konecny was the lone Flyer to score, but Spezza prolonged the skills competition with a goal in the bottom of the eighth round. Johansson secured the bonus point for the Leafs three rounds later.
Couturier, who is nursing a hand or wrist injury and was limited to five faceoffs in Pittsburgh (3-2) and three in New Jersey (0-3) lost each of his first four on Saturday but ultimately won 4 of 10 including 4 of 6 in the third period and OT. Giroux, characteristically dominant on drawns, won 15 of 19.
Tyler Pitlick rejoined the Flyers lineup after being a healthy scratch in four straight games. Chris Stewart was scratched in this one.
The Flyers have a complete off-day on Sunday after playing back-to-back games. They will practice on Monday in Voorhees and then host the Carolina Hurricanes at the Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday.
For more on Saturday's game, click here.
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Phantoms Down Bridgeport, 3-2
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms have compiled an eight-game point streak, albeit an odd one that has seen the team settle for one point four times via three shootout losses and an OT defeat. On Sunday night, the Phantoms didn't have to settle for anything less than a 3-2 regulation road win over the struggling Bridgeport Sound Tigers. The same teams will clash again on Sunday.
Kyle Criscuolo (penalty shot, 1st goal ), Morgan Frost (3rd) and Nicolas Aube-Kubel (3rd) scored for Lehigh Valley. Goalie J-F Berube turned back 26 of 28 shots to earn the win. He best save was a 10-bell pad save larceny against Parker Wotherspoon from point-blank range with 5:03 left in the third period after a Kieffer Bellows shot went off the post.
The Phantoms took a 1-0 lead to the locker room at the first intermission. Criscuolo was tripped on a breakaway and converted the resulting penalty shot attempt for his first goal as a Phantom. Time of the goal was 15:30.
In the second period, an early tally by Matt Lorito (4th) and a mid-period marker by Simon Holmstrom (1st) sent Bridgeport from a 1-0 deficit to a 2-1 lead. At 16:24, the Phantoms drew back even again. From the deep slot, Frost deflected a Mark Friedman point shot past Bridgeport goalie Christopher Gibson (19 saves on 22 shots) to re-tie the score at 2-2. The secondary assist went to Andy Andreoff.
The goal by Frost gave him a six-game point streak (3g, 5a) after starting the season with no points through the first three games. Frost is currently tied for 3rd in rookie scoring the league.
In the third period, another redirect -- this one by Aube-Kubel on a Tyler Wotherspoon shot -- put the Phantoms ahead again, 3-2, at 9:16. Berube slammed the door from there.
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SATURDAY PROSPECT ROUNDUP
* Reading Royals (ECHL): The Flyers' ECHL affiliate skated to a 3-2 home win at Santander Arena over the Norfolk Admirals on Saturday. Rookie Kirill Ustimenko got the start in goal for the Royals, stopping 16 of 18 shots. Overall, he is 3-0-1 with a 2.74 GAA and .889 SV%. The Royals (5-3-1) host the Adirondack Thunder (5-2-1) on Sunday.
* NCAA: Flyers 2019 first-round pick Cam York scored the first regular season goal of his collegiate career on Saturday as the freshman Michigan defenseman tallied on a wraparound at even strength with 3:58 remaining in the third period to knot their game with Ohio State at 1-1. However, the Buckeyes re-took the lead for good with 1:29 left in a 2-1 final. Senior Buckeyes right winger Tanner Laczynski had a first-period power play assist (8th). York was not on the ice for either Ohio State goal. The Buckeyes completed a weekend sweep of Michigan after a comeback victory the previous evening.
* NCAA: Flyers 2019 second-round pick Bobby Brink had four shots on goal and a pair of good scoring chances but was unable to get onto the scoresheet on Saturday night. However, Denver took care of business against Niagara in a 4-0 whitewashing. Through eight games, freshman winger Brink has four goals and seven points.
* NCAA: Freshman Western Michigan Broncos defenseman Ronnie Attard scored a pair of goals, including a game-tying goal on a slap shot from the left circle with 14 seconds remaining in the third period, as his team skated to what was officially recorded as a 4-4 tie against Colorado College. The game was actually decided in a shootout, which Western Michigan won. Attard took first-star honors. His senior teammate, right winger Wade Allison, remains out of the lineup with an upper-body injury.
* NCAA: Separated onto a different line than his brother Jackson, Flyers left wing prospect Noah Cates did not record a point and had two shots on goal in Minnesota Duluth's 2-0 win over Minnesota on Saturday. Minnesota forward Bryce Brodzinski was mixed and matched into shifts as a 13th forward. He had three shots on goal.
* NCAA: Sophomore left winger Gavin Hain tallied a late empty net goal (1st) to seal a 3-1 win over Michigan Tech on Saturday. Hain has three points through six games.
* NCAA: Defenseman Wyatt Kalynuk scored an even strength goal (1st) late in the second period to tie the game at 2-2 but was ultimately out for three goals against in Wisconsin's 4-2 loss to Penn State on Saturday. Penn State swept the weekend set. Offensive-minded defenseman Kalynuk has seven points (1g, 6a) in eight games.
* NCAA: Yale opened their regular season with a home-and-home split against Brown, including a 5-1 road loss on Saturday. Jack St. Ivany had three shots on goal and was -1 in the rematch after posting an even-strength assist and going +1 in Yale's 3-2 home win on Friday.
* OHL: The game on Saturday between the Saginaw Spirit (defenseman Mason Millman's club) and the defending OHL champion Guelph Storm was postponed due to treacherous ice conditions. The Spirit’s next game is Saturday, Nov. 9, against Mississauga. Through 17 games, Millman has 10 points (5g,5a) and is minus-7 with most of the negative markers coming during the team's rough start the first couple weeks of the season. The Spirit are currently 9-6-2, one point behind the Western Conference leading Windsor Spitfires.
* QMJHL: The Victoriaville Tigers suffered a 3-1 setback on home ice against the Chicoutimi Sagueneens on Saturday. Egor Serdyuk had three shots on goal. After a red-hot offensive start (five goals, seven points) in his first four games and then an injury, Serdyuk has cooled off considerably. He has one point (0g,1a) in his last seven games and is -7 in that span.
* WHL: Draft+2 defenseman Wyatte Wylie recorded an assist and was +1 in the Everett Silvertips' 3-2 home win over the Kamloops Blazers on Saturday. Through 14 games, Silvertips alternate captain Wylie has chipped in 12 points (3g, 9a) and is +4.
* WHL: The Calgary Hitmen sustained a 3-2 home setback in regulation to the Saskatoon Blades on Saturday night. Egor Zamula was -1 with two shots on goal. For the season, the fast-rising 19-year-old Russian defenseman (who will represent his home country in the upcoming Canada-Russia series) has posted 15 points in 13 games (4g, 11a) and is +16 for the first-place Hitmen (8-4-1).
* BCHL: The visiting Penticton Vees downed the Victoria Grizzlies, 4-1, on Saturday night. Flyers 2018 first-round pick Jay O'Brien scored on the opening shift of the third period to build a 3-1 lead for his side. He has goals in back-to-back games and points in five in a row (3g, 3a). For the season, he has 29 points (11g, 18a) in 20 games to rank third in the league in points and fourth in points-per-game. O'Brien will celebrate his 20th birthday on Monday. Penticton is 16-3-1 on the season.
* SHL: The Và¤xjö Lakers upset LuleॠHF on Saturday, 3-1. Linus Högberg skated 19:10 of ice time with one shot attempt.
* SHL Brynà¤s downed visiting Frölunda, 3-1, on Saturday. Joacim Eriksson was the backup goalie for BIF. For the season, Ersson has made seven starts and one relief appearance. He has a 3.34 GAA and .872 SV% to date after a dominant Allsvenskan (minor league) season last year where he swept every major award.
* SHL: Linköpings HC defeated Rögle BK, 3-2, in overtime on Saturday. Olle Lycksell had three shots on goal in 17:31 of ice time. He did not record a point but remains tied for the team scoring lead with 10 points (3g, 7a) through 16 games while averaging 14:36 TOI.
* Allsvenskan: Adam Ginning, the Flyers 2018 second round pick, was loaned by Linköping to Allsvenskan team HC Vita Hà¤sten. He has one assist, eight penalty minutes and is minus-three. Ginning has also dressed in 9 SHL games for Linköping, struggling to some degree and seeing limited ice time. He's played five games for the Swedish national J20 squad.
* Allsvenskan: On loan from Brynà¤s to Allsvenskan team Và¤sterviks IK, center Marcus Westfà¤lt has dressed in 16 games to date (1g, 2a, 8 pim, -2).'
* Liiga: Swedish defenseman David Bernhardt, who dressed in 9 games (0 pts, -2) and played sparingly for Và¤xjö, is no longer with the team. He has joined Finnish club SaiPa Lappeenranta.