PHILADELPHIA – After a month of nailbiters, the Flyers finally caught a break with the arrival of the last-place Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night.
The Blackhawks, who once went 0-16-1 in Philadelphia between 1996 and 2023, did not put up much resistance as the Flyers scored early and often for a 5-1 win at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Flyers coach Rick Tocchet, mindful that Sam Ersson’s last loss came quite a while back, decided to start him in goal. Ersson rewarded the coach’s faith with a strong effort and raised his record to 4-0-0 since Jan. 29.
The winners finished the game with 42 shots, tying their season high (42 vs. Montreal on Nov. 4).
Tocchet was upbeat after this effort, one in which the Flyers won the faceoff battle, 34-21, and outhit the visitors, 22-13.
“A lot of energy,” Tocchet remarked after the game. “All four lines. . .I thought they were on edge.”
The coach has been preaching get to the net and on this night they did.
“We’ve talked about things we have to get better at,” Tocchet said. “I thought we had a couple backdoors, a couple guys could have gotten some goals there. That’s a good thing we have to build on.”
Philadelphia got off to a quick start but really broke this game open with a three-goal second period.
Leading 3-1, the Flyers’ Noah Cates removed any doubt about the outcome with his 16th goal of the season at 12:41, converting a Matvei Michkov pass from the sideboards. The goal gave Cates a new high for his career. It was also his 39th point of the season, another personal record for a campaign.
Then Christian Dvorak scored with 24.4 seconds left in the period when he tapped in an Owen Tippett entry past goaltender Spencer Knight.
Denver Barkey had scored his fourth goal of the season at 5:14 of the second to make it 3-0. Trevor Zegras created the initial rush and shot. Knight had the initial stop but the puck deflected to Barkey in the crease for an easy put-back.
“I think it was one of ‘Bark’s’ best games,” Tocchet said. “He’s been playing like this for a while.”
Barkey has only been around a few months but he plays like he’s been in the league a few years.
“He (Tocchet) has been preaching for me to shoot the puck more and get pucks to the net,” said Barkey, who finished with three shots (and his center, Zegras, had seven). “Clearly it’s working. Can’t shy away from it. And you’re got to repeat it. I try to shoot the puck when I can.”
Tippett, the third part of the Barkey-Zegras line, had two assists and continued his high-energy play.
“He’s punchin’ the clock every game,” Tocchet said of Tippett, “and you’re noticin’. I don’t think he was happy with his last game. Today he was more serious. He dragged everyone into the fray tonight.”
Said Tippett: “Obviously there’s some stuff I could have done differently last game (a 3-2 loss to Columbus). The luxury of our schedule is we’re right back at it two days later.”
The Flyers had not recorded a shutout in their first 70 games and that didn’t change in game No. 71. Connor Bedard scored at 11:11 of the second period to get the Blackhawks on the board.
The first period saw the Flyers jump out to a quick 2-0 lead in a burst reminiscent of the ‘70s when the old Broad Street Bullies would grab a multi-goal edge before fans were fully seated at the old Spectrum.
Rookie Alex Bump kicked off the scoring binge just 48 seconds after the opening whistle. Knight attempted a pass from behind his net to defenseman Artyom Levshumov but Christian Dvorak intercepted and found Bump in front for a shot into the unguarded net.
Then Sean Couturier made it 2-0 at 2:33. Luke Glendening stole a puck and fed Couturier in front.
>Ersson on top of his game
Ersson’s recent improved play now gives the Flyers two goaltenders they can count on. Dan Vladar stands fourth in the NHL in save percentage.
“He (Ersson) has been great for us,” Dvorak said. “And ‘Vlady’, too. They’ve been a big part of our hockey (success) since the (Olympic) break. It’s fun to watch.”
Ersson seems comfortable in this backup role. He’s only missed seven games due to injury this season and maybe a lighter workload is a key to staying upright.
“You try to be ready when you get the call,” Ersson said. “I think the team, since the break, has been doing a very good job. We’re just taking it a game at a time and see where it takes us.”
There have been a few low points this season but he’s been working diligently with goaltending coach Kim Dillabaugh.
“In times of struggle I believe you have to dig in and believe even harder in what you’re doing,” Ersson said. “Less is more a lot of the times. Keep grindin’ away. The team is playing well, it makes my job easier.”
>Short shots
The Flyers head into weekend action for another back-to-back starting Saturday night in Detroit and finishing up Sunday night in Philadelphia against Dallas. . .Couturier is just one goal away from his 12th 10-goal season. The only other Flyers with more: Bob Clarke, 15; Claude Giroux, 13; Bill Barber, 12. . .This was the first time the Flyers hit the five-goal mark since a 7-3 win at Colorado on Jan. 23.
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