Flyers Lineup

Joel Farabee – Kevin Hayes – Jake Voracek

James van Riemsdyk – Morgan Frost – Claude Giroux

Oskar Lindblom – Nolan Patrick – Travis Konecny

Michael Raffl – Scott Laughton – Nicolas Aube-Kubel

Ivan Provorov – Travis Sanheim

Erik Gustafsson – Philippe Myers

Robert Hagg – Justin Braun

Brian Elliott – Carter Hart

Mark Friedman, Connor Bunnaman

Sean Couturier (rib separation)

Game Report

After riding high with two exciting wins over the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Flyers were brought back down to earth pretty hard last night when the Buffalo Sabres handed them a 6-1 loss.

It was a big wakeup call for the team, and they were hungry to get right back at it on Tuesday night for retribution. Alain Vigneault hinted before the game that some “subtle changes” could be expected in the lineup, yet his team skated warmups in the same line formations as the previous night. Once the puck dropped, however, Vigneault revealed his true plans when a very new-looking set of lines and defensive pairings hit the ice.

Defensively, it helped Philadelphia weather the first period without giving up a goal – even when faced with a 59-second five-on-three for the Sabres. Brian Elliott came up big on multiple occasions, denying Jeff Skinner and other shooters every time they got close to the net.

The Flyers had one power play opportunity in the period, which left a lot to be desired. They couldn’t generate much on the man advantage, which went hand-in-hand with their inability to create many shooting opportunities during even-strength play.

Injuries are starting to plague the Flyers as Phil Myers and Morgan Frost both went down the tunnel in this game in a lot of pain. Both players sustained fairly innocuous-looking hits from Jake McCabe, but Myers left the ice holding his side or shoulder area and Frost went down on his knees grasping at his shoulder or wrist. 

The second period got off to a fiesty start when Brandon Montour hip-checked Ivan Provorov directly into goaltender Carter Hutton as the pair of skaters went hard to the net. Hutton took a hit up high, knocking his mask off and leaving him shaken, while Provorov careened into the net. Montour took the opportunity to sucker-punch Provorov while he was down and a large crowd soon gathered but no penalties were assessed. Hutton finished the period, but would not return to start the third. He was replaced in net by Jonas Johansson.

Philadelphia ended the middle frame on a high note when Nolan Patrick and Oskar Lindblom connected to spring Travis Konecny on a breakaway, who snuck a slick backhander through Hutton’s five-hole to put the Flyers on the board. With just under two seconds left in the period, Rasmus Ristolainen took a roughing penalty on Scott Laughton, giving the Flyers practically a full power play to begin the third period.

The third period didn’t have much action to speak of, although Patrick and Lindblom continued to improve with each passing shift, until the end of the game when Jake Voracek potted his first goal of the evening. It was a beautiful play set up by Erik Gustafsson and Kevin Hayes. The bounce back victory was sealed when Hayes tossed the puck way down the ice for an empty netter to finish things off.

While fans wait with baited breath to hear news on Myers and Frost, who are both scheduled for MRIs, the Flyers have Mark Friedman and Connor Bunnaman waiting on the taxi squad to draw in if needed. The Flyers now head out for their first road trip when they take on the Bruins in Boston on Thursday.

Plus / Minus

▲  Brian Elliott, Travis Konecny, Oskar Lindblom

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