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Wrap: Flyers Win Seesaw Game over Devils, 5-3 |
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It didn't have to be a masterpiece, and it wasn't, but the Philadelphia Flyers earned a much-needed victory, 5-3, over the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on Tuesday night. The win was the Flyers' first on the road this season after going 0-1-1 in back-to-back disappointing performances in Boston last week.
The Flyers got off to a slow start in the first period and then controlled the latter half of the period as a stabilizing shift on the forecheck by Scott Laughton's line turned the tide and a James van Riemsdyk power play goal put the momentum squarely on Philadelphia's side. Moments before the JVR goal, Yegor Sharangovich hit the post on a shorthanded breakaway.
The Flyers also controlled the first 12 minutes of so of the second period, controlling territorial play for the longest sustained stretch of the season to date. An early 2nd period power play goal goal by JVR (again) built a 2-0 lead.
However, over the latter part of the second period, the Devils made a heavy push and rallied for goals by Michael McLeod (delayed penalty) and Travis Zajac that tied the score at 2-2.
The Flyers had some nervous moments in early in the third period, as New Jersey hit two goal posts A perfect setup by Claude Giroux to Nolan Patrick restored the lead for the Flyers. Joel Farabee then capitalized on a turnover to rebuild a two-goal edge for the Flyers. Provorov added a long-distance empty netter before Pavel Zacha scored in a late-game scramble to reduce the final margin of defeat to two goals.
Brian Elliott got help from his goal posts several times but also came up with some huge saves in stopping 23 of 26 shots to earn the win. An early-game breakaway save on Zacha proved huge before the Flyers finally got rolling. Scott Wedgewood denied 26 of 30 Flyers shots in a losing cause.
Provorov (1g, 2a) led the Flyers with 27:43 of ice time. Blueline partner Shayne Gostisbehere skated 21:57 in his first game of the 2020-21 season. He had three shots on goal, one hit and two blocked shots (one of which erased a turnover that led to a 4-on-2 counterattack).
Giroux (2a) played in his 611th game as Flyers' captain; setting a new franchise record. Jakub Voracek's assist on the first JVR goal was the Czech winger's 400th assist as a Flyer.
The Flyers went 2-for-5 on the power play and 1-for-1 on the penalty kill.
The two teams will rematch on Thursday at the Prudential Center.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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