NEWARK, N.J. – So much for revenge plans.
One week after the Flyers handed the New Jersey Devils a rather humbling 6-3 loss in Philadelphia, the expectation was the Garden State boys would be seeking retribution in Saturday night’s rematch.
It didn’t happen.
The Flyers went on another scoring rampage similar to the one they produced in Philadelphia and came away with a 5-3 win at Prudential Center.
It was the Devils’ first regulation-time loss at home this season.
That completed a Flyers’ 3-1 road trip and left them standing third in the Metropolitan Division standings, just two points division-leading New Jersey. The Flyers are 5-0-1 in the Metropolitan Division.
Owen Tippett was tripped on a potential breakaway with under a minute to play (and the Devils goalie pulled) and was awarded the Flyers’ fifth goal to clinch the game.
Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar and Tippett were the stars of this encounter. Vladar stood tall when the Devils pressed to try to tie the score and potentially make it 4-4. Tippett had the Flyers’ first and last goals.
In the end, the Flyers capped off a successful road trip which began with a shutout loss at Tampa Bay. After that, the Flyers really found their legs.
“Obviously a very tough game,” Vladar said in the Flyers’ jubilant locker room. “I’m very proud of the group, how they played the second night of the back-to-back.”
In fact, this was only the Flyers’ second win in the back half of a back-to-back (2-12-2) since the start of last season.
“Tonight I thought we just wanted it a little bit more,” Vladar said.
Tippett put together one of his best games since early in the season.
“At the end of a long road trip like this, you want to close it up the right way, the best you can,” Tippett said.
Tippett’s first goal was his 100th in the NHL.
“It’s awesome,” he said. “Any time you can get a milestone it’s kind of cool. I trust the guys in here, we have a lot of fun. Whether it’s me or anyone else, you want to make the guy feel special.”
A three-goal second period pretty much put this one away.
First, Matvei Michkov jumped out of the box at the end of a penalty, joined Travis Konecny on the rush and finished off a bang-bang play at the 53-second mark.
Then Konecny took matters into his own hand, firing a shot which clicked off Michkov at 3:16.
Finally, after a Jesper Bratt shot hit a post, the Flyers turned back up ice. Tippett set up Trevor Zegras for a fourth goal past goalie Jacob Markstrom at 13:03.
Konecny liked the way the Flyers bounced back on this trip after the loss to the Lightning last Monday.
“I don’t want to say it’s a measuring stick for us but I think we deserve to be talked about with the teams we’re playing right now,” he said. “I think it shows we have guys contributing in different ways. If it’s your turn to be on the scoresheet, that’s what you do. Or a big save from a goaltender. Everyone’s stepping up. We just love this group.”
Only a goal by New Jersey’s Timo Meier on a power play with 27 seconds left in the period kept the match close. Then the Devils scored with a goal from Dawson Mercer at 6:32 of the third to cut the Philly lead to one.
In a fairly even first period, each team scored a goal.
Tippett finished up a precision entry from Christian Dvorak, using a backhand shot off the rush for a goal at 5:18.
The Devils, held to just one shot in the first 10 minutes, responded at 12:09. Defenseman Simon Nemec was left alone at the top of the slot for a quick one-timer past Vladar.
In the end, the Flyers prevailed to get within one point of the
Coach Rick Tocchet is encouraged by how his team is picking up on his system.
“They (the Devils) made a push and we held it together,” Tocchet commented. “Three and one on a tough road trip. Really excited for the guys.”
These group wins go a long way in having the players believe in themselves. With the exception of Vladar, Zegras and Christian Dvorak, this is pretty much the same team that finished last in the Metro last year.
“The one thing I love with this group is they always want to learn,” the coach said. “Whether we win or lose, they’re asking questions. That’s what we’re going every day. Some building blocks here.”
The coach liked the way his team held up when the Devils made a final push at the end.
“I think with all these tight games, these guys are just learning,” Tocchet said. “When you’re not used to tight games. . .we’re getting tons of reps with this stuff. There’s not a lot of panic on the bench. We just to continue to grow that way and stay positive.”
>Short shots
On Monday, the Flyers return home to face cross-state rival Pittsburgh at Xfinity Mobile Arena. . .For his career, goaltender Sam Ersson is now 12-3 in shootouts. Among goaltenders who have played in at least 10 shootouts, Ersson ranks seventh in NHL save percentage at .792. . .Speaking of shootouts, Zegras ranks No. 1 in NHL history (minimum of 20 attempts) with a 68.0 percentage (17 of 25). That’s well ahead of No. 2 Jamie Robertson of Dallas (58.8 percent). . .Since the start of the 2022-23 season, the Flyers’ 17 shootout wins are the most in the NHL. . .Egor Zamula took Noah Juulsen’s spot on the Flyers’ third defense pairing. Nikita Grebenkin stayed in the lineup while Nic Deslauriers was a healthy scratch. . .Flyers are 7-0-0 when leading after two periods.
Be the first to comment