Wrap: Lightning Downs Flyers, 5-3
The Philadelphia Flyers made a valiant effort at a late comeback but came up short in losing, 5-3, to the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena in a Saturday late afternoon/early evening game.
The Flyers fell into a 2-0 deficit in the first period, which became 3-0 early in the second period. The Bolts carried a 3-1 lead into the third period, and then extended it to 4-1. The Flyers got back within a goal and had several chances to knot the score, but could find the net again. A late empty-netter sealed the two goal margin of victory for Tampa.
Alex Killorn (22nd), Cedric Paquette (6th), Carter Verhaeghe (8th), Brayden Point (21st), and Nikita Kucherov (empty net, 28th) scored for Tampa Bay. Steven Stamkos had two assists and Victor Hedman picked up his 40th assist of the season.
In a losing cause, Ivan Provorov (power play, 11th), James van Riemsdyk (power play, 18th) and Claude Giroux (16th) scored for the Flyers. Both Provorov and Giroux had two-point games.
The Flyers were significantly outplayed in the first period, and then outplayed Tampa overall in the final 40 minutes but the hole was a little too deep to dig out from succcessfully.
Carter Hart was not awful in goal but was outplayed by Andrei Vasilevskiy. The Lightning goalie turned back 30 of 33 shots. Although he was beaten twice in the third period on 15 Flyers' shots, Vasilevskiy was excellent in making sure that Philly never found an equalizer.
Hart (19 saves on 23 shots) would have liked to have back Killorn's flat-angle second effort goal that opened the scoring after Provorov blocked an initial shot. The puck went off the goalie's shoulder and into the net.
The Paquette goal was a defensive breakdown by the Flyers. Provorov turned the puck over behind the net and Tyler Johnson found Paquette all alone at the doorstep. The third goal, scored by Verhaege, was an odd-man rush goal off a poor line change by the Flyers. With Hart moving across and not yet set, Verhaege flipped the puck over him high to the short side.
Provorov's power play goal came from center point with defender Hedman having lost his stick. Giroux and Sean Couturier earned the assists.
At 12:34 of the third period, the Lightning scored on a quick counter. Point, took a pass from Stamkos, and then froze Provorov momentarily by faking a shot. He then moved to the circle just above and outside the upper hash mark and sniped a shot high to the long side.
JVR made it 4-2 at 15:31 of the third period on a simple re-direct in front of a Niskanen point shot. Travis Sanheim got the secondary assist. At 16:15, the Flyers got back within 4-3. A Provorov point shot hit the post and Giroux potted the rebound. Out-of-position referee T.J. Luxmore ruled no-goal but a video review showed the puck completely crossed the goal line (which was of little doubt even at live speed). Travis Konecny got the secondary assist.
Philly threatened but never drew even. Kucherov scored into an empty net with 22 seconds left in the game. Stamkos and Hedman got the assists.
The Flyers have an off-day on Sunday and a practice in Voorhees on Monday. On Tuesday, the team will host the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first half of a critical home-and-home set for both teams.
For more on Saturday's game in Tampa,
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Phantoms Drop Shootout to Wolf Pack, 4-3
Three separate one-goal leads and a two-point effort (1g, 1 primary assist) by Morgan Frost in his return to the team after starting in two games and sitting the next two for the Flyers produced only a regulation tie and eventual shootout loss for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Saturday night. The Phantoms dropped a 4-3 (2-1) decision to the Hartford Wolf Pack at the PPL Center.
Andy Welinski and Cal O'Reilly (power play) also scored for Lehigh Valley. The Phantoms took a 1-0 lead to the first intermission and a 3-2 edge to the second intermission. Every time the Phantoms forged ahead, Hartford eventually responded. Shawn McBride, Nick Jones and Matt Beleskey tallied for the Wolf Pack.
Frost did a good job protecting the puck on the sequence that led to the Welinski goal. Frost's goal was a bang-bang play right off a left circle faceoff.
Alex Lyon stopped 23 of 26 shots in regulation and OT before going 3-for-5 in the shootout. Tom McCollum stopped 28 of 32 shots in regulation and OT and then went 4-for-5 in the shootout.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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