Wrap: Flyers Repel Red Wings, 3-1
The Philadelphia Flyers skated to a 3-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings at the Wells Fargo Center on Sunday evening. Trailing 1-0 after the first period, the Flyers scored three unanswered goals to win the game.
The Flyers, who had an extremely light schedule over the past week, ended a four-game winless streak (0-3-1) and won for just the third time in their last 11 games. The Red Wings, who were at a severe fatigue factor disadvantage on Sunday, were playing for the fifth time in seven nights. Detroit is now winless in its last six games (0-5-1).
David Perron (16th goal of the season) notched the only tally of the first period. In the second period, the Flyers struck back for a Nicolas Deslauriers shorthanded breakaway goal (5th) and a Noah Cates deflection goal (10th) to take a 2-1 lead into the final 20 minutes. Scott Laughton (15th) added an empty net goal at 18:12 of the third period.
Carter Hart earned the win with 24 saves on 25 shots. Ville Husso stopped 34 of 36 Philadelphia shots in a losing cause.
The Flyers went 0-for-3 on the power play. The Red Wings were 0-for-2.
Laughton played in his 500th career NHL game. Tanner Laczynski returned to the lineup from a 36-game stint in IR. Brendan Lemieux made his Flyers debut, registering five hits, one shot on goal and a plus-three.
Joel Farabee had three Grade A chances -- two set up by Morgan Frost and one by Owen Tippett -- in Sunday's games but was robbed by Husso. He came away without a point from the game, as did his two linemates. However, it was a second straight game in which Farabee seemed to finally be working his way out of a long slump. On Wednesday against the Rangers, Farabee had a more notable forechecking presence than he had in weeks and had one prime chance. On Sunday, the scoring chances came in bunches with nothing to show for it.
Farabee has no goals and a single assist in the 12 games since the All-Star break. In fact, his drought goes all the way back to Jan. 16: one point in his last 20 games. His last goal was 23 games ago, in Buffalo on Jan. 9.
Tippett, coming off a spectacular performance against the Rangers in which he had a power play goal (unassisted off an Adam Fox turnover), two other point blank chances (one hit the post, one missed the net) and a Grade B look (saved by Jgor Sheshterkin), also had strong game against the Red Wings with three shots on goal on six attempts. He's logged monstrous ice time in each of the last two games and 20-plus minutes in four of the last five games. Tippett has been the most dynamic player on the ice for Philadelphia but only has one point (third period goal against Montreal) over the last three games.
Meanwhile, Frost easily could have had four or five primary assists in the last two games between prime scoring chances he teed up for Farabee and Tippett but none of the chances ended up being goals. Frost also had one prime chance of his own in Sunday's game.
Over the
Flyers' last 35 games, Frost remains third on the team with 23 points (8g, 15a) but the points have been hard to come by since the All-Star break and he's had some issues with turnovers in dangerous areas of the ice. Tippett is fourth on the team in scoring over the last 35 games with 22 points (11g, 11a).
The Flyers' next three games are on the road: Tuesday in Tampa Bay, Thursday in Carolina and Saturday in Pittsburgh.
Flyers Daily: Mondays with Meltzer
On today's Flyers Daily with Jason Myrtetus, Jason and I recap the win over the Red Wings, analyze what happened at the trade deadline, discuss Flyers players with more to prove (it's a long list) and more. To listen,
click here.
Phantoms Conclude 3-in-3 with Win
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms took four of six possible points over the weekend in a 3-in-3 gauntlet. After sustaining 4-1 road loss to the Syracuse Crunch on Friday, the Phantoms bounced back for a dramatic 4-3 home win on Saturday against the powerhouse Toronto Marlies and then a 3-1 home win in Sunday against the Providence Bruins.
In Sunday's tilt, the game was scoreless for two periods. After a Justin Brazeau power play goal put Providence ahead 1-0, the Phantoms exploded for three unanswered goals. After Adam Brooks set up Bobby Brink (7th goal of the season) for the tying goal, Brooks himself scored back-to-back goals (7th and 8th) to put Lehigh Valley ahead at 11:48 and then add empty-net insurance at 18:43. Max Willman assisted on both Brooks goals. Winning goalie Nolan Maier stopped 25 of 26 shots.
The Phantoms (28-22-6) are in fifth place in the Atlantic Division. Both Lehigh Valley and the Springfield Thunderbirds have 62 points this season but Springfield holds a game in hand and a corresponding points percentage edge (.564 to .554). The Phantoms now have a four-night break in the schedule before another 3-in-3 stretch on Friday (road vs. W-B/S Penguins), Saturday (home vs. Belleville Senators) and Sunday (home vs. Utica Comets).
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