|
Wrap: Flyers Grab ECQF No. 1 seed, beat Tampa, 4-1 |
|
|
|
|
|
Wrap: Flyers Grab ECQF No. 1 seed, beat Tampa, 4-1
After entering the round-robin portion of the Eastern Conference postseason as the default No. 4 seed for the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, the Philadelphia Flyers will now go into the playoffs as the No. 1 seed. The Flyers defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-1, on Saturday night at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. Previously, Philadelphia downed the Boston Bruins (4-1) and Washington Capitals (3-1).
Two goals from Nicolas Aube-Kubel (1st and 2nd career NHL postseason goals), a goal and an assist from Joel Farabee (1st and 2nd career NHL postseason points), two helpers apiece from Sean Couturier and Shayne Gostisbehere and a late empty-net goal by Tyler Pitlick (1st) provided the offensive support. Philadelphia was missing Jakub Voracek from the lineup, and Farabee stepped up admirably in his place.
Carter Hart was severely tested early in the game and then had to make 11 saves to nail down the win in the third period but did not see many shots over the latter half of the first period or most of the second stanza. His biggest stops were breakaway saves on Nikita Kucherov and Alex Killorn (shorthanded). Hart tracked the puck efficiently and played with his usual economy of motion in making 24 saves on 25 shots.
The Flyers had a scare in the second period when defenseman Travis Sanheim had to leave the game with an apparent upper-body injury. However, he returned several shifts later and finished the game.
Tyler Johnson (power play, 2nd) notched the lone Tampa goal, briefly cutting the Flyers lead to 2-1 in the second period. Andrei Vasilievskiy played well in goal for Tampa -- he didn't have much chance on any of the goals he allowed -- and denied 26 of 29 shots.
The Flyers went 0-for-3 on the power play (and 0-for-11 in the round robin) against Tampa. They were 2-for-3 on the penalty kill (9-for-10 across the round robin).
Tampa entered the game missing Steven Stamkos from the lineup. During the first period, top defenseman Victor Hedman fell down while defending Pitlick on a 2-on-2 rush that turned into a 2-on-1. Hedman sustained a lower-body injury on the play, and had to leave the game. He hobbled gingerly up the tunnel (under his own power) and smashed a stick in frustration on the railing adjacent to the empty stands.
The Lightning had the early pressure in the first period, and the deadly Nikita Kucherov broke through for two golden scoring opportunities. He hit the crossbar on the first and was denied on a five-hole attempt on a breakaway on the second.
Thereafter, apart from Hart having to stop an Alex Killorn shorthanded breakaway off a Travis Konecny turnover, the Flyers were like a buzzsaw in building a 2-0 lead and a 20-6 shot advantage. Victor Hedman appeared to get injured as he fell down defending Tyler Pitllck on what started as a 2-on-2 rush, and became a 2-on-1. Hedman subsequently had to leave the game. The Flyers fourth line alone had three scoring chances in quick succession at one juncture.
Vasilevskiy had no chance on either of Aube-Kubel's first period goals. The first, scored at 7:40, was a deflection in front of a Shayne Gostisbehere point shot. Derek Grant got the secondary assist after a Tampa turnover high in their defensive zone.
The latter, at 14:00, came on a 2-on-1 from the slot off a feed from Sean Couturier. Joel Farabee's secondary assist was his first career NHL postseason point. Philly was credited with a dozen first period hits (led by three from Kevin Hayes) and won 11 of 19 faceoffs (Hayes won five of seven).
The second period was a good defensive period for the Flyers, as they limited the Lightning to seven shots. The Flyers killed off their first penalty with authority but got burned on the second. Hart made a touch save on Mikhail Sergechev. Shortly thereafter, though, he was beaten from the dead slot by Johnson off a Killorn pass at 5:21.
Strong forechecking work by Couturier and a tape-to-tape cross-ice pass from Gostisbehere to Farabee near the right hash marks presented the Flyers a great scoring chance, and Farabee buried it in the back of the net at 14:22. Second period shots on goal were 7-6 in Tampa's favor.
After a solid beginning to the third period, the Flyers got themselves in trouble with several failed clears in close succession and then a Provorov tripping penalty. Hart and the penalty kill relieved the pressure and restored stability. The Bolts then cranked up the attack again in the final seven-plus minutes and the Flyers again got frequently hemmed in.
Hart dialed up his game again when the Flyers were in close-out mode, and made 11 saves iall in the final stanza. Pitlick's empty net rebound put-in of a Laughton shot off the post iced an undefeated round robin for the Flyers.
Tampa Bay, the second seed in the East, will play the winner of Game 5 of the qualification series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets. Last year, Columbus shocked the President's Trophy winning Lightning in a four-game sweep in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
Join the Discussion:
»