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Flyers-Preds Wrapup: Philly Takes Two Points in 3-2 Shootout Win |
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FLYERS SKATE OFF WITH WELL-DESERVED TWO POINTS IN 3-2 SHOOTOUT WIN
Two days after sustaining a 3-2 shootout loss to the Buffalo Sabres and falling to 0-1-1 on a critical four-game homestand, the Philadelphia Flyers rebounded to claim a 3-2 shootout win on Saturday afternoon over the President's Trophy leading Nashville Predators.
Philadelphia held leads of 1-0 and 2-1 while dominating the opening 40 minutes. Nashville surged for multi-minute segments of the third period, but the Flyers had momentum jumps of their own in a mostly evenly played final 25 minutes.
Wayne Simmonds got the Flyers on the board first in the opening period, while Ryan White restored a lead in the second stanza. The shootout lasted just two rounds, as both Jakub Voracek and Simmonds converted their opportunities while Nashville went 0-for-2.
Rob Zepp had a hang-in-there type of game. He went long stretches without seeing any shots in the first two periods but gave up a pair of goals -- at least one of which should have been tracked better -- on the first nine shots he saw.
Thereafter, Zepp stopped all 13 shots he saw in regulation and overtime, including several testers, before stopping both shooters he faced in the skills competition. Zepp's shootout clinching glove save on Craig Smith was punctuated by an exuberant celebration.
Colin Wilson and Smith scored in regulation for the Predators. Vezina Trophy favorite and potential Hart Trophy candidate Pekka Rinne basically stole a point in regulation with a spectacular performance in goal. Rinne turned back 31 of 33 shots in regulation and overtime before getting beaten twice in the shootout.
For two periods, the Flyers played virtually a spotless 200-foot hockey game save for one costly turnover. Philly hounded the puck in all three zones, had good breakouts and generated both outstanding back pressure and strong forechecking support. Both regulation goals were the type of hard-working goals that teams need to score this time of year, and especially against a top goalie like Rinne. The Flyers also generated a few odd-man rushes.
Special teams play belonged to the penalty killers on both teams. Nashville and Philadelphia both went 0-for-2 on the power play and generated almost no pressure.
Nashville is usually a team that throws rubber at the net from every possible angle; something that Zepp mentioned the Flyers went over during their pre-scout on the game. In this game, however, the Preds looked for perfect plays and open lanes that weren't there against the Flyers' tight checking. It was only as the third period progressed that the Predators started to revert to the attacking style that has been effective for them.
1ST PERIOD
The Flyers had the first two shots of the game -- including one that produced a pop fly of a rebound that Shea Weber swatted away from the crease -- through the game's first five minutes.The Predas got their first shot at 5:12 on a routine and unscreened point shot.
Shortly past the six-minute mark, Rinne made a ten-bell save to deny Giroux from point blank range. On the next shift, the Flyers had a chance off a line rush.
Over the next several minutes, the Flyers utterly shut down Nashville defensively and established good forechecking pressure. It frequently seemed like there were two players in orange sweaters to every one in white around the puck.
At the 8:59 mark, the Flyers' hard two-way work paid off in a 1-0 lead. Wayne Simmonds (23rd goal of the season) scored on a difficult deflection of a Michael Del Zotto shot. Braydon Coburn got the secondary assist.
Voracek had a great chane off the line rush at about the 11:30 mark. Rinne made the save but the rebound danced tantalizingly through the goal mouth before it was swept to safety ahead of Sean Couturier reaching it. Moments later, Rinne made an excellent blocker save on Giroux from the medium slot.
The Flyers ninth shot of the period came from distance and was hung onto by Rinne for a stoppage at 14:33. Shots at this point were 9-1 Flyers.
Rinne made a pair of great save on an initial shot by Brayden Schenn and a rebound attempt by R.J. Umberger with ticking down to 3:30 remaining in the period.
At the 18:58, the Predators tied the game at 1-1 on just their second shot of the game, Michael Del Zotto turned the puck over on a bad diagonal pass attempt intended for Simmonds in the neutral zone. The puck was picked off by Wilson, who skated up the left wing and fired a fluttering shot -- possibly partially deflected by Braydon Coburn's stick -- from the outer left circle off Zepp's blocker and into the net. The goal, Wilson's 19th of the season, was unassisted.
The Flyer got the game's first power play with 4.8 second left in the period. Weber went off for a slash near the Nashville net.
Shots in the period were 13-3 Flyers. Faceoffs were 10-8 Flyers.
2ND PERIOD
The Flyers did nothing with their carryover power play from the Weber penalty. Most of the time was spent retrieving the puck and trying in vain to gain the offensive possession. Philly never got set up at all.
At 3:43, Chris VandeVelde received an offensive zone contact-to-the-head penalty as he fended off Roman Josi in the corner. Zac Rinaldo got a 10-minute misconduct.The Flyers killed it off without allowing a shot.
After the penalty expired the Flyers had a great chance off a terrible turnover by Cody Franson near the Nashville net. Shots at this point were 16-3 for the game and 3-0 for the period.
Zepp made a pair of saves off a Nashville rush, including a close-range rebound opportunity for Wilson before a stoppage of play at 8:49.
The Flyers re-took the lead at 11:21 as White scored for the second straight game. White hounded Seth Jones on the forecheck in deep and Brayden Schenn took over to force a turnover to Umberger as White moved over the middle. Taking a feed from Umberger, White snapped a shot past Rinne for his second goal of the season. Umberger and Brayden Schenn got the assists.
The Flyers forecheck created another Preds turnover and a shot for Del Zotto with some traffic in front. Rinne held for the stoppage at 12:51. Shots for the game at this point were 21-6 Flyers for the game and 8-2 for the period.
After Coburn broke his stick in the offensive zone, Nashville countered and had extensive offensive zone time -- but no dangerous shots -- before the Flyers iced the puck with 3:44 remaining. Craig Berube called timeout.
Jame Neal took a needless slashing penalty at 17:10 in the Nashville zone as the teams were changing lines and there was a delayed offside on Philly. The Flyers did a little better than their first power play, but not much.
Shots were 9-4 Flyers (22-7 through two periods). Faceoffs were 11-7 Flyers (22-15 Flyers through two periods).
3RD PERIOD
The Predators needed just 23 seconds to tie the game at 2-2, converting a 3-on-2 rush. Off a cross-ice pass by Mike Fisher that Matt Cullen let go past over the middle, goal-scorer Smith (18th of the season) slid a right-circle shot through Zepp's pads as he moved laterally to try to cover the backdoor play.Cullen got the secondary assist.
Shortly thereafter, a heavily screened shot that Rinne never saw ticked off the post. On the next shift, Rinne made a point-blank save on Read from the doorstep to keep the game at 2-2. Voracek made a great setup pass moving around behind the net.
The Flyers continued to do a good job at recovering quickly from the early Preds goal and re-asserted their two-way control of the game for much of the opening nine minutes. In that span, however, Zepp had to make a tough stop on a Neal shot from the mid-slot.
The Preds then had a couple shifts where they started to generate some offensive zone time. The Flyers took a pair of icings.With Nashville continuing to apply heavy forechecking pressure, Andrew MacDonald (just out on the ice after a line change) hooked Neal to take a penalty at 12:42.
The Flyers did an excellent job of killing the penalty. Nashville was unable to get set up on the man advantage. Philly got momentum from the kill.
With 4:06 left, a sprawling Rinne denied Giroux on an attempted backhander as the Flyers captain tried to elevate the puck over the massive Finn.
Shots in the third period were 10-7 Nashville (29-17 Flyers for regulation). Faceoffs were 12-8 Flyers (34-23 Flyers through regulation).
OVERTIME
Zepp covered up a rolling puck at the 25-second mark as Neal went to the net and tried to jam it in. The goalie got it first. Moments later, Zepp had to be aware to hug the post on a strange carom off the end boards.
Nashville continued to have the better of the play in overtime. Finally, Simmonds snapped off a left circle shot off a Giroux pass that RInne hung onto for a stoppage with 35.2 seconds left.The Flyers had chances as they won the next two faceoffs in the Nashville end.
Shots were 5-4 Nashville (game total of 33-22 Flyers). Faceoffs were 34-23 Flyers)
SHOOTOUT
Top of 1st round (1-0 Flyers):Voracek waited out Rinne, who committed himself first. Voracek then quickly moved to the backhand and flipped the puck upstairs for a goal.
Bottom of 1st round (1-0 Flyers) Cullen slowed down as he skated into the right circle, tried a stutter step and then moved toward the left post. Zepp stayed right with him and made the save.
Top of 2nd round (2-0 Flyers) Simmonds used a quick shot release to beat Rinne through the five-hole.
Bottom of 2nd round (2-0 Flyers): Smith came in with speed and Zepp snapped the attacker's shot of the air with a flourishing glove save.
POSTGAME NOTES AND QUOTES
* The Flyers attempted 58 shots (33 on net, 15 blocked, 10 missed). The Predators attempted 45 (22 on net, 15 blocked, eight missed).
* Roman Josi blocked a game-high six shots. Several Flyers players blocked three apiece.
* The Flyers were credited with 43 hits to 40 credited to Nashville. Wayne Simmonds and Ryan White were each credited with seven, Zac Rinaldo with six and Nicklas Grossmann led the defense with four. Shea Weber was credited with six to top the Predators.
* The Flyers are right back in action on Sunday afternoon. They will host the Washington Capitals in a 12:30 p.m. game that will be nationally televised on NBC.
* Recently inducted Flyers Hall of Fame defenseman Eric Desjardins and his family were in attendance at the game. On Friday, he was at the Skate Zone in Voorhees, joking that the facilities nowadays are so good that he wished he was coming back to play.
* The Flyers welcomed Make-a-Wish Foundation child Tony Campisi, 11, and his family to the game. He received a big ovation from the crowd and the Flyers tapped their sticks. Prior to the game, Tony was driven to the arena by Flyers' All-Star forward Jakub Voracek and entered the building through the door the Flyers' players, coaches and front office personnel use.
* Claude Giroux on the Flyers' 200-foot game, especially in the first two periods: "“I think we played a good game. Five guys on the ice, we played together, the chemistry was good, and we knew what we were doing with the puck. It was our goal to play, and we had a good game plan before the game. We were able to get the win."
* Wayne Simmonds on the same subject: “Unfortunately, we don’t play like that every night. We’ve got to figure out a way to play like that against teams that are below or the same as us. I think we focus in on what we need to do. We keep it more simple. We don’t try to do anything extra and it worked out”.
* Ryan White on the same subject: "It’s getting there. I think we have showed some spurts out here in this home stand where we’re starting to play the right way for some extended time. I think guys are starting to realize what we have to do every night. We just have to keep at it and do the right thing.”
* White on the forechecking sequence that led up to his goal: "I think our lines done a good job the last couple of games getting the fore check, moving our feet, and putting the puck in the right area. During that shift there we had three guys buzzing on the puck and sure enough it spit out to me and I had a great opportunity to put the puck in the net.”
* Rob Zepp on not being busy at all in the first two periods and then seeing a lot more activity: "They had ten in the third and five in overtime so it kind of gets the sweat going a little bit. It’s always tough when you’re not facing so many shots but it’s funny we went over the pre-scout and they were shooting pucks from everywhere so it kind of countered what we watched but that’s hockey you just have to let the game come to you and be ready for whatever.”
* Zepp on Craig Smith's game-tying goal: "I thought it was a pretty good play on the second goal. The first guy that he centered it to let it go and I think he might have originally been passing it to him and let it go through his feet and then back to him and it ended up being a pretty nice play. Obviously the first goal dipped on me a bit but that’s a puck I have to have. The guys were doing such a good job and I had to hold the fort down for them.”
* Zepp on his celebration after the final save in the shootout: "I might have over done it a bit [laughs]. But I just got caught up in the moment. You know you make that save and the games over so it’s always fun to make a little glove save like that and I was just pretty excited. The guys battled so hard all night and they knew how much the two points meant to the team and I was just really happy to get those.”
* Zepp talked about how much of a help that Flyers goaltending coach Jeff Reese has been from the time of his arrival throughout the season, including while Zepp has been in Allentown with the Phantoms. This will be the subject of an upcoming blog featurette.
* Craig Berube on the Flyers' performance: “I liked the whole game, to be honest with you. The first two periods we had real good jump early, cycling the puck early, had some odd-man rushes. To me, it starts in our own end. We did a good job there first, breaking the puck out, making some plays, and had some good opportunities. Rinne was good. The team stuck with it though. You can lose your focus a little bit, but they didn’t. I thought they stuck with it.”
* Berube on the team simplifying its game to compete against the NHL's top team in the 2014-15 regular season: "That’s a good word: simplified. Maybe knowing that we’re playing a top team in the league, you have got to play simple hockey, and we did for most of the game. That’s the key to any game. If you play simple, support each other out there, and do what you’re supposed to do, you’ll have success.”
* The game marked Peter Laviolette's return to Philadelphia after being let go as Flyers head coach three games into the 2013-14 season. During the first stoppage of play, Flyers public address announcer Lou Nolan extended a special welcome to Laviolette and assistant coach Kevin "Kato" McCarthy (a former Flyers player and Laviolette's assistant coach in several NHL stops, including Philly). Laviolette received a round of applause but did not wave or otherwise acknowledge the fans. After the game, however, Laviolette said, " The fans have always been great with me. That was nice."
* A host of scouts were in attendance at the game; not surprising considering the rapidly approaching NHL trade deadline. Among the attendees was former Flyers player Scott Mellanby, now the assistant general manager of the Montreal Canadiens. Others included Hockey and Flyers Hall of Famer Mark Howe (Detroit Red Wings), Jason Botteril and Al Santilli (Pittsburgh Penguins), Jamie Pushor (Tampa Bay Lightning), Pierre Gauthier (Chicago Blackhawks), John Van Boxmeer (Buffalo Sabres), Peter Mahovolich (Florida Panthers), Dan O'Brien (Dallas Stars), Dave Taylor (St. Louis Blues), Frank Effinger (Arizona Coyotes), and Kerry Gwydir (New York Islanders). Many of these scouts are regulars or semi-regulars at games in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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