In shutting out the Buffalo Sabres on Monday by a 4-0 score, rookie Samuel Ersson faced and stopped 28 shots on goal to improve to 4-0-0. Veteran Craig Anderson, with 34 saves on 38 shots, took the loss for Buffalo.
The Flyers went 0-for-3 on the power play. The first power play was poorly executed, and the best chance was a shorthanded opportunity for Buffalo. The second power play went better but Anderson stopped a James van Riemsdyk deflection at the doorstep to keep the deficit to 3-0. During a third-period power play, the Flyers approached it very conservatively, deploying an old-fashioned 3F/2D setup on both unit. They could afford to do so with a commanding lead.
The Sabres went 0-for-1 and did not have a power play opportunity until late in the game. An extra penalty was given to the Flyers out of a post-whistle scrum around the net that easily could have simply resulted in matching minors and two minutes of 4-on-4 play. Philly staged a strong penalty kill.
The goals by MacEwen and Cates were the product of especially hard-working shifts. Cates' goal on the rebound of an initial shot for Konecny came about because of the center's initial dogged forechecking work that eventually created a turnover and a scoring chance for Konecny. The rebound put in was the icing on the cake.
Morgan Frost's line was quiet offensively in this game. Frost made three separate strong defensive plays to aid the cause, did not turn over any pucks (after having two costly turnovers against Toronto the previous night), won five of seven faceoffs, and was credited with a hit and a takeaway in the game. JVR, playing in his 900th career NHL regular season game, had the one power play tip-in near the crease. Owen Tippett posted three shots on goal including two in PP2 duty.
Eight of the other nine forwards in the Flyers lineup were credited with at least one point on the night. Scott Laughton, who was not credited with an assist, took an offensive zone faceoff in the third period that triggered a set play with Kevin Hayes setting up Allison for Philadelphia's final goal.
Playing against his former team, Rasmus Ristolainen had one of his strongest games as a Flyer over his season-and-a-half to date. It included a sequence where he snuffed out a play in the defensive zone and took off with the puck up the ice to create a scoring chance at the other end. Ristolainen finished with a game-high three blocked shots as well as two hits.
Up and down the lineup, there were positive contributions of various types on this night. During Philadelphia's lone penalty kill, for example, Nick Seeler was stung by a Dylan Cozens shot. He was down momentarily but hobbled back up to his feet and finished the shift so as not to effectively leave his team down on a 5-on-3.
Most notably from a defensive standpoint, the Flyers largely neutralized Tage Thompson from an offensive standpoint. He did have two shots on goal including a bang-bang chance off a first period faceoff but he was blocked on two other attempts and hurried into missing the net on another. Cam York had a clutch block on Thompson. Additionally, Flyers forwards won eight of 12 faceoffs against Thompson: Frost won two, Hayes, Cates, Laughton and Patrick Brown won one apiece and both Konecny and Tippett won offensive zone draws against Thompson after their centers were kicked out of the circle.
For a full period-by-period synopsis, analysis, stats and highlights from Monday's win in Buffalo, see the
Postgame 5 on PhiladelphiaFlyers.com.
The Flyers have an off-day on Tuesday after the back-to-back set they played against Toronto at home on Sunday and in Buffalo on Monday. On Wednesday, the Flyers will host the Washington Capitals in the first end of a home-and-home. The teams will rematch in DC on Saturday in the fourth and final meeting of their 2022-23 season series.
The Flyers are 0-1-1 against Washington this season so far. Nicklas Bäckström and Tom Wilson are now back in the Washington lineup after missing the entire season up until this past weekend.
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