PHILADELPHIA – Trevor Zegras hadn’t scored in his first seven games with the Flyers but he made up for lost time on Saturday afternoon.
Zegras scored two goals and added an assist in the Flyers’ come-from-behind 4-3 shootout win over the New York Islanders at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
To top it off, Zegras (and Matvei Michkov) scored in the shootout to provide the margin of victory.
Philadelphia improved its record to 4-3-1.
The Flyers trailed by scores of 2-0 and 3-2 but Zegras would not be denied.
He registered the Flyers’ first goal in the second period, then tied the score at 6:32 of the third period.
Zegras is invaluable to the Flyers on and off the ice.
He has a dry sense of humor and keeps things light in the dressing room. That can help keep a team loose when things get a little tight.
“Great,” said Rick Tocchet when asked about Zegras happy-go-lucky personality. “He’s a funny kid. You know, every day is the same way, whether we lose or win, he comes in with that (happy) personality. He keeps working.”
A goal by New York’s Maxim Tsyplakov at 4:16 of the third period broke a 2-2 tie.
But the Flyers didn’t need long to square the score again. During a Philadelphia power play, Zegras picked up a loose puck off a Bobby Brink entry and jammed it home at 6:32.
Down 2-0 in the second period, the Flyers got a goal from Christian Dvorak, courtesy of a Zegras assist, to cut the deficit in half.
Then in the third, Dvorak set up Zegras with a pinpoint backpass to tie the score at 2-2.
Zegras took his performance with his usual matter-of-fact demeanor.
The Zegras-Dvorak connection is proving productive.
“For sure,” Zegras said. “(Dvorak is) a good buddy. I think when you have that camaraderie off the ice, it kind of translates onto the ice. He’s a great 200-foot player. Great in the faceoff circle. Helps me and ‘Mich’ (Michkov) in the faceoff circle. So smart and usually in the right spot.”
Getting that first goal out of the way, and have it come in front of the home fans, was a good feeling
“It felt nice,” Zegras said. “The fans are so great. To do it in front of them was special, for sure.”
Goaltender Samuel Ersson, seeing his first action since Oct. 16, got sharper as the game went along.
Early on, he was the victim of a shorthanded breakaway on New York’s first goal and a bad break off an official’s skate on the second.
After falling behind by a 2-0 score, the Flyers finally got on the board at 10:29 of the second period.
Michkov gained the zone and passed to Zegras at the far point. He spotted Dvorak cutting deep across the middle. A short shot eluded Ilya Sorokin at 10:29.
The Islanders’ second goal was assisted by an official’s inadvertent block of a Flyers’ clear attempt. The puck eventually wound up on Anthony Duclair’s stick for a goal at 6:15.
The shorthanded goal by the Islanders’ Simon Holmstrom was the only scoring of the first period.
The Flyers’ top power-play unit of Sean Couturier-Michkov-Travis Konecny was on the ice when the Islanders found themselves with a two-on-one break against Drysdale. Holmstrom used a Jean-Gabriel Pageau feed to send a rising shot past Ersson at 9:51.
It was the second shorthanded goal the Flyers have allowed this season, tying them for most in the NHL this season.
Drysdale likes the way Zegras can help keep the atmosphere somewhat upbeat when things aren’t going the team’s way.
“He’s a pretty outgoing guy,” Drysdale said. “He fit in probably from day one (after a trade from Anaheim). Great guy, great fit, great energy for this team. We’re real lucky to have him.”
>Short shots
Defenseman Adam Ginning returned to the lineup and Egor Zamula sat this one out. . .The Flyers continue their five-game homestand on Tuesday night when they play the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Prior to Saturday’s game, Tyson Foerster had scored 12 goals in his last 16 games dating back to last season. Only Sidney Crosby (14) and David Pastrnak (13) had scored more.
Dan Vladar, idle on Saturday, has moved up to third in the NHL in both goals-against average and save percentage. His GAA is 1.81 and his SP is .932.
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