Postgame RAV4: Flyers Deal Devils Another L

The Philadelphia Flyers defeated the New Jersey Devils, 5-3, in an eventful game at Prudential Center in Newark on Saturday night. The Flyers, who have beaten New Jersey twice within a week, dealt the Devils their first regulation home loss of the season. Rick Tocchet earned his 300th win as an NHL head coach.

The Flyers finished their road trip with three wins in four games. The team improved its overall record to 14-7-3 and its road record to 6-4-1. The Flyers are 7-2-2 over their last 11 games. Diversified offense and clutch goaltending made this win possible.

Owen Tippett's 100th career NHL goal and 200th career point gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead at 5:18 of the first period. The goal was Tippett's 7th of the season. New Jersey got the goal back on a delayed penalty tally by Simon Nemec (6th).

Matvei Michkov (7th goal of the season) restored a one-goal lead for the Flyers in the opening minute of the second period. Ending a nine-game goal drought, Travis Konecny (6th) goal of the season extended the lead to 3-1. Later, Trevor Zegras (9th) built a three-goal on an odd-man rush goal. Before the period expired, a Timo Meier goal (PPG, 9th) brought New Jersey back within 4-2.

In the third period, Dawson Mercer (10th) reduced the Flyers' lead to 4-3. Finally, Tippett (ENG, 8th) was hauled down on an empty net breakaway for an automatic goal and a 5-3 final.

Dan Vladar made 28 saves on 31 shots. Jacob Markstrom stopped 28 of 32 shots.

The Flyers went 0-for-2 on the power play. They were 3-for-4 on the penalty kill.

First period synopsis

Forty-eight seconds into the game, the Flyers went to the power play on a glancing Simon Nemec high stick on Tyson Foerster. The best chance came at the end of 5-on-4 on a point shot with Bobby Brink going to the net. Shots were 4-0 Flyers through three minutes.

At 5:18, Tippett came up with a puck in the neutral zone. In the offensive zone, he drove to the net to receive a Christian Dvorak pass and stash it home to give the Flyers a 1-0 lead. The assists went to Dvorak and Zegras.

On a delayed penalty against the Flyers, Nemec ripped a partially shot into the net from above the hash marks. Couturier, playing without a stick, wasn't able to get back in time before the goal at 12:09. The assists went to Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier.

At 18:45, Michkov took a cross-checking minor on Luke Hughes just below the defensive goal line. Vladar made a full extension save on Timo Meier before the end of the period. New Jersey took 45 seconds of carryover power play time into the second period.

Shots: Flyers 8 - Devils 6

Faceoffs: Flyers 11 - Devils 14

Notable:

• The Flyers had the better of the early play. They set a good pace and won more puck battles than New Jersey. The Devils were the better team over the latter portion of the period.

Second period synopsis

Exiting the penalty box at the end of his penalty, Michkov went to the net and jammed the puck home at the 53-second mark of the second period. The assists went to Konecny and Travis Sanheim.

Cam York made an elusive move at the offensive blueline and threaded a puck to Konecny. "TK" sniped it home at 3:16. The assists went to York and Sanheim.

After stripping Noah Cates of the puck, Luke Glendenning had a point blank chance. Vladar made the save but it started a wave of pressure by New Jersey's fourth line until Vladar covered a loose puck for a stoppage.

One the next shift, Bratt hit the post on a breakaway. Sanheim absorbed a big hit from Meier. Tippett sped off on an odd-man rush and fed Zegras. Markstrom got some of Zegras's shot but not enough to keep it from going into the net at 13:03. the lone assist went to Tippett.

Couturier exchanged cross-checks with Brenden Dillon near the New Jersey net at 16:04. Dillon got two minors (cross-checking and unsportsmanlike conduct) and Couturier got one. The Flyers went to their second power play. Vladar made a spectacular save on a 2-on-1 shorthanded chance. Wiith 27 seconds left on the power play, the Flyers were whistled for too many men on the ice.

New Jersey applied heavy pressure on the ensuing power play. With 35 seconds left on the Devils' power play, Vladar made an excellent save on Meier. With 25.5 second left in the period, however, Meier scored on a loose puck in the lower left slot.

Shots: Flyers 12 (20 overall) -Devils 14 (20 overall)

Faceoffs: Flyers 6 (17 overall) - Devils 12 (26 overall)

Notable:

• Vladar made a variety of high-danger saves in the period. None were better than his lateral stop on Dawson Mercer on New Jersey's shorthanded 2-on-1. A bad line change by the Flyers started the problem. Vladar erased it.
• Through two periods, Couturier was 6-for-10 on faceoffs. However, Abols was just 1-for-8 and Cates was 3-for-8.
• Despite the even shot on goal totals, New Jersey had many more shot attempts than the Flyers. Philly blocked 20 shots.

Third period synopsis

Early in the third period, the teams had one shot apiece but New Jersey had the territorial edge. The Flyers fourth line turned in a good forechecking shift in their first appearance of the period.

The Flyers had a couple of scoring chances in the ensuing four shifts but were unable to restore a three-goal edge. At 6:28, Zegras turned over the puck. Mercer turned the defense inside out and scored on the backhand to bring New Jersey back within 4-3. The goal was unassisted.

New Jersey went back to the power play at 6:57 when Garnet Hathaway batted an airborne puck in the defensive zone over the glass for an automatic delay of game penalty. Vladar made a pair of saves in the opening half of the 5-on-4, including a scorching one-timer from Dougie Hamilton between the circles.

Michkov made a clutch backchecking play in the middle of the period to break up a rush by New Jersey's fourth line. Off the next offensive zone faceoff, Michkov snapped a quick shot on net.

At 13:16, York was sent off for a retaliatory slash on Meier behind the defensive net. The Devils won the ensuing faceoff and pressured immediately. As the power play ensued, the Flyers got a pair of key clears.

At 16:37, Markstrom made a 10-bell save on Noah Cates. The sequence started as a 2-on-1 rush led by Michkov.

New Jersey pulled the goalie for a 6-on-5 with 1:02 left on the clock. Tippett was tripped on a breakaway resulting in an automatic empty net goal awarded at 19:11.

Shots: Flyers 12 (32 overall) - Devils 11 (31 overall)

Faceoffs: Flyers 11 (28 overall) - Devils 10 (36 overall)

Notable:

• The Flyers finished with 23 blocked shots. Seeler led the way with five.
• Couturier won 10 of 15 faceoffs.
• Tippett was awarded first star honors.

Flyers Starting Lineup

Trevor Zegras - Christian Dvorak - Owen Tippett
Tyson Foerster - Noah Cates - Travis Konecny
Matvei Michkov - Sean Couturier - Bobby Brink
Nikita Grebenkin - Rodrigo Abols – Garnet Hathaway

Cam York – Travis Sanheim
Emil Andrae – Jamie Drysdale
Nick Seeler – Egor Zamula

Dan Vladar
[Samuel Ersson]

Postgame RAV4 (RAV4 Things Revisited)

1. Vladar vs. Markstrom

Both goaltenders faced a slew of high-danger chances. Vladar was nothing short of spectacular in the net at key junctures of the game. Markstrom made his biggest saves with the Flyers pressing to restore a three-goal lead in the third period.

2. Michkov performance

Matvei Michkov has scored goals in each of the two games the Flyers have played against New Jersey. His tally in the opening minute of the second period was a springboard to a three-goal frame for his team. Not noted for his defense, Michkov contributed in that way, too, with a defensive kill in the third period.

3. Fourth line effectiveness

The Flyers' fourth line had a tough game against the Islanders on Friday. They were much better in this game.

4. York - Sanheim defense pair

Travis Sanheim had two assists and was plus-one in 24:52 of ice time. Cam York had an outstanding primary assist on Konecny's second period goal. He also blocked three shots. His one blemish was a penalty with a one-goal lead in the third period.