WRAP: PREDATORS NIP FLYERS, 1-0
After playing a run-and-gun type of game in last Tuesday's 6-5 contest in Nashville, the Philadelphia Flyers and Nashville Predators locked into much more of a tight-checking contest at the Wells Fargo Center on Thursday night. The Predators prevailed, 1-0.
A counterattacking goal by Nashville's Colton Scissons at 3:49 of the third period snapped a scoreless deadlock and served as the game's only tally. It was the second time this season the Flyers have been shut out.
The Predators were the better team for much of the second period and the Flyers had some periods of early and late momentum. Overall, though, there was not much sustained pressure from either team. Most of the play was kept to the perimeter. It was a stark contrast from the way the first game between the teama was played.
"You have to be ready to play either of those two styles of games. I liked the first period tonight. I thought the second period we spent a little bit too much time in our own end. We didn’t give up a ton but we also didn’t generate a lot. We spent more time five on five in our own zone in the second then we did in their zone. The third period we obviously didn’t get the same outcome but we did get back to it to generate again," Flyers coach Dave Hakstol said.
"The first half of the game I would like to go back and look at it. We missed two or three good chances where we didn’t actually get them on net. Where we had opportunities we made good plays. We had good chances in the third period. We had two or three good chances before they scored their first goal and we had at least six or seven maybe more after it was a one goal game. We made good plays in the third. We had scoring chances from good areas. We just couldn’t execute to get one past [Pekka Rinne]."
Over the bulk of the game, both Flyers goalie Michal Neuvirth and Rinne saw most of the shots, and were only truly tested a few times each. When there were momentarily open shots in good areas or with traffic, they tended to get blocked (both teams blocked 17 of the other side's attempts), get shot wide or hit off bodies or skates and fizzle out.
Flyers team captain Claude Giroux said that some credit is due to the defending Western Conference champions.
“They didn’t get to the Stanley Cup Finals with luck. They’re a good team, they have a good system and they have a lot of good players. As frustrated as we are right now that we didn’t get the win, we have to stay positive and play some good hockey," Giroux said.
There were some bright spots for the Flyers. Returning to the lineup after being scratched in each of the last two games, Travis Sanheim played in all game situations -- second power play unit and some penalty killing time in addition to five-on-five play -- and handled it well. He showed a quick and aggressive defensive stick and also effectively jumped into the play several times on some of the Flyers' better forays in the attacking zone. There was a rough shift or two along the way, but overall it was a strong effort.
"I am not a huge physical guy so, I have to rely on my stick quite a bit. A big part of my game, managing gaps, is having a good stick," Sanheim said. “Overall, my gap was a lot better tonight. I thought me and [Radko Gudas] were working together a lot better as a partner. Overall, it’s going to take time. I thought I was jumping up maybe a little more, creating a little more offense, it’s a huge part in the game.”
Fellow rookie defenseman Robert Hägg also played a solid game. In 17:05 of ice time, he had two shots on goal in three attempts, three of the Flyers' 12 credited hits, no charged giveaways, a pair of blocked shots).
Neuvirth has played well in all three of his appearances this season. On Thursday night, he was sharp in stopping 23 of 24 shots. There was little to no chance of stopping the Sissons goal. At the other end, Pekka Rinne authored a 28-save shutout.
Wayne Simmonds, who left Tuesday's game early with a lower body injury, missed only one shift (a power play late in the second period. Simmonds took damage to his face as an errant stick caught him flush in the mouth.
Jordan Weal (upper body injury) took part in the morning skate but was a late scratch. Jori Lehterä made his Flyers debut (12:06 of ice time) and skated in Weal spot on the second line left wing. Sanheim took power play time on the second unit with Weal unavailable.
The Flyers went 0-for-5 on the power play and 2-for-2 on the penalty kill. Most of the game was played at five-on-five.
The Flyers came out attacking in the earliest minutes of the game, including a dangerous chance created on a left circle shot by a pinching Travis Sanheim. Philly had five of the game's first eight shot through six minutes.
As the period progressed, the Flyers fell into a bit too much east-west play. Nashville was the more physical team. A couple of seemingly blatant penalties were let go.
Philly got the game's first power play at 17:12. Colton Sissons went off for roughing after taking a pop at Voracek in the Nashville zone. With Weal out of the lineup, Sanheim got a look on the second power play unit.
Shots on goal in the first period were 7-6 in Nashville's favor. There were only eight faceoffs in the period. The Flyers won seven, led by Giroux's 5-for-5. The Preds outhit the Flyers, 11-4. Robert Hägg, the Flyers' best defenseman in the opening 20, was credited with three of the hits.
About three minutes into the second period, the Scott Laughton line generated the Flyers' most extended pressure since early in the first period. On the next shift, Valtteri Filppula went to the net to receive a Simmonds pass and was taken down by Anthony Bitetto for a tripping penalty at 4:03.
The Flyers generated a lot of offensive zone time on their second power play but could not find the net. They were guilty of making one pass too many a couple times and ended up with lesser opportunities.
On a 3-on-2 counterattack by Nashville against the Nolan Patrick line, defenseman Matt Irwin fired a shot that beat Neuvirth from the deep slot but rang off the goal post at 9:40.
Nashville got its first power play at 10:32 after Gudas caught Scott Hartnell with a high stick along the left side boards. Punctuated by a Sanheim shot block after a long scrum along the left wall, the Flyers put forth a strong kill.
Preceding a TV timeout, Neuvirth dialed up a long distance glove save on a Craig Smith wrister from above the left circle at 14:50.
Nashville was the better team on the majority of the next 5 shifts. The Flyers had some zone-clearing issues. To their credit, most of the play was contained along the perimeter.
At 18:01, the Preds' Filip Forsberg was called on an offensive zone interference right off a draw. Weise took the netfront shift (Simmonds was on the bench after briefly heading to the locker room) for the first power play unit. With about 15 seconds left, Sanheim fed across to Patrick for a right circle shot that Rinne snagged.
Second period shots were 10-9 Flyers (16-16 overall). Nashville won 10 of 17 faceoffs in the period (14-11 Flyers overall) and the Flyers outhit the Predators, 5-4 (15-9 overall in Nashville's favor).
The Filppula line got hemmed in deep around the one-minute juncture of the third period. Neuvirth calmed things down by covering for a stoppage on a puck that banked in front off the end wall.
A lost puck on an Andrew MacDonald on a pinch -- his initial support, Simmonds also came in moments later and got caught on the wrong side of the puck as it got past him -- led to an odd-man counter for Nashville. Sissons took a feed from Fiala and snapped a shot past Neuvirth at 3:49 for a 1-0 Predators lead.
A scrum around the Flyers net ensued after a failing clearing attempt. Neuvirth came up with the puck amid a pile of players at 5:54.
The Flyers went to a short-lived power play at 12:48. Working past Miikka Salomäki in the netural zone, Patrick kept his feet moving and drew a hooking penalty. Just 30 seconds later, though, it was evened up on a Simmonds interference penalty as a defender's stick flew out of his hands at the blueline at 13:18.
Couturier had arguably the Flyers best scoring chance of the night, toe dragging off a Giroux pass and shooting through Roman Josi. Rinne came up with a somewhat lucky save on a play where there was net open.
Sanheim had a very active shift as the Flyers top line generated offensive zone time with about 3:30 left but no top-end chances resulted. Neuvirth snared a point shot with Preds lurking nearby at 17:45.
The Flyers pulled Neuvirth for an extra attacker with about 90 seconds left. Hard forechecking work created a power play as Arvidsson was sent off at 18:54 for slashing. The Flyers used their timeout before the 6-on-4 started.
With time ticking down, Gostisbehere made a spectacular keep at the offensive blueline to keep the Flyers alive. In the final moments, an errant pass by Couturier intended for Gostisbehere ended the game without a real scoring chance for Philly.
Third period shots were 12-8 in the Flyers' favor (28-24 Flyers overall). Final faceoff totals were 26-22 in the Flyers' favor after early dominance. Giroux ended up 7-for-14 after starting 5-for-5. Filppula won eight of 11.
Thursday's 1-0 outcome came exactly 50 years to the day of the Flyers winning a 1-0 decision over the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Spectrum in the first-ever home game in franchise history. Prior to Tuesday's game, the Flyers
unveiled a nine-foot bronze statue of late franchise patriach, Ed Snider, outside the Wells Fargo Center.
The Flyers will practice on Friday at the Skate Zone in Voorhees. Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers come to down on Saturday afternoon.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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