Postgame RAV4: Flyers Topple Wild

The Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Minnesota Wild, by shootout 3-2 (1-0), in St. Paul on Thursday night. A tired Flyers team beat a much more rested opponent with a resilient effort. Philadelphia has won four straight road games: three in shootouts, one in overtime.

As he did on Wednesday against the Capitals, Owen Tippett was a force for the Flyers in this game: a half-dozen shots on goal, three hits and a vital shorthanded tally to force overtime.

Philly outworked Minnesota in the first period, taking a 1-0 lead to intermission. The Flyers did a fine job shutting down the middle of the ice and generating an attack off a half-dozen Wild turnovers. Finally, late in the frame, Emil Andrae (2nd goal of the season) got the game's first goal.

Minnesota came out much stronger in the second period. In the middle stages of the frame, Matt Boldy (PPG, 37th) tied the game. Late in the period, Kirill Kaprizov (38th) gave Minnesota their first lead.

The Flyers hung tough in the third period. Finally, Tippett (SHG, 22nd) struck for the tying goal. In overtime, the Flyers were unable to take advantage of back-to-back power plays totaling 3:09 of the five-minute sudden death.

In the shootout, neither team was able to score through two-and-a-half rounds. Ultimately, Travis Konecny netted the winning attempt. The Flyers swept the two-game season series with Minnesota.

Dan Vladar stopped 21 of 23 shots in regulation and OT before going 3-for-3 in the shootout. Jesper Wallstedt made 24 saves on 26 shots in the game. He was 2-for-3 in the shootout.

The Flyers went 0-for-4 on the power play. They were 1-for-3 on the penalty kill.

FIRST PERIOD SYNOPSIS

The Flyers were guilty of three offside entries in the game's first five minutes. At the other end of the ice, Mats Zuccarello hit the post to the stick side.

Carl Grundstrom set up Trevor Zegras for a prime scoring chance. However, Zegras missed to the short side.

At 8:00 Matvei Michkov took a slashing penalty, breaking his stick. Vladar made a good pad save before the stoppage. The Flyers killed off the 5-on-4 in good shape.

Philly went to the power play at 10:52  Marcus Johansson went off for hooking Nick Seeler's hands. The Flyers did not get much going during the two minutes.

Grundstrom nearly had a slam dunk as Tippett shoveled the puck toward him. Robby Fabbri got just enough of the puck to prevent Grundstrom from handling the pass. Later, a broken stick prevented a potential Travis Konecny goal. Zegras missed the net again on another setup from Grundstrom.

Minnesota turned the puck over as forwards exited the zone. Zegras kept the play going. Andrae put a shot on net that went through the five hole at 18:35. Wallstedt got most of the puck but not enough to keep it from crossing the line.

Shots: Flyers 9 - Wild 2

Faceoffs: Flyers 9 - Wild 10

SECOND PERIOD SYNOPSIS

Early in the period, Owen Tippett started a promising transition rush. At the other end Minnesota missed two shot attempts from good angles: their eighth and ninth missed shots of the night. Two shifts later, a Zach Bogosian shot went just wide.

Seeler slashed former Flyers forward Ryan Hartman behind the net for a minor penalty at 8:14. At 8:38, after an offensive zone entry, Boldy fired a low shot that beat Vladar. Zuccarello and Quinn Hughes earned the assists.

On the very next shift, Minnesota had an odd-man rush. The Flyers recovered. At the other end of the ice, Michkov created a scoring chance off a well-designed pass.

Michkov made a good backchecking play, stripping Kirill Kaprizov of the puck. Through 14:05, shots on net were 7-4 Minnesota.

Scoring his 13th goal in his last 15 games, Kaprizov faked a back-door pass and fired a shot to the top part of the net at 17:50. The assists went to Faber and Hughes.

Shots: Flyers 8 (17 overall) - Wild 11 (13 overall)
Faceoffs: Flyers 4 (13 overall) - Wild 10 (20 overall)

THIRD PERIOD SYNOPSIS

Zegras ripped an early shot at the net. The unscreened Wallstedt knocked it aside.

Christian Dvorak painfully blocked a shot. He missed a couple shifts and returned to the game.

Andrae was tripped by Fabbri at 1:54. Philly went to its second power play of the game. The Flyers struggled to get set up and had no scoring chances over the two minutes.

Tippett made a power move down low, fending off Hughes. He fed the puck on the backhand toward Grundstrom but the shot did not get on net.

Konecny interfered with Hughes away from the puck, receiving a minor penalty at 6:08. The Flyers drew even with a shorthanded goal at 7:58. 

Tippett forced a turnover as the Wild attempted to exit the defensive zone. Travis Sanheim claimed the puck. Grundstrom made a nice pass on re-entry. Tippett ripped the puck past Wallstedt for his third shorthanded goal of the season. Sanheim earned the secondary assist. Philly killed off the rest of the minor penalty.

As the clock ticked down to the final minute, Tippett broke in 2-on-1 with Konecny. TK was unable to handle the backdoor feed from Tippett. At 19:08, the Wild were called for too many men on the ice. The Flyers took a carryover 4-on-3 power play into overtime.

Shots: Flyers 5 (22 overall) - Wild 9 (22 overall)
Faceoffs: Flyers 7 (20 overall) - Wild 5 (25 overall)

OVERTIME SYNOPSIS

Zegras wasn't quite able to make connections with Konecny. A Zegras shot was blocked away. Wallstedt made a blocker save. The power play expired.

Hughes hooked Zegras after a turnover, putting Philly back on the power play at 1:35. Konecny and Michkov shots were denied by Wallstedt. As the penalty expired, the Flyers had a shot blocked out of play.

Sanheim broke a Hughes cross-seam pass attempt. Boldy attempted a buzzer beater.

Shots: Flyers 5 (26 overall) - Wild 0 (22 overall)
Faceoffs: Flyers 1 (21 overall) - Wild 3 (28 overall)

SHOOTOUT SYNOPSIS

1st Round: Vladar made a kicksave on a Zuccarello backhander.  Michkov was unable to finish his chance.

2nd Round: Kaprizov put a backhander over the net. Zegras was denied by Wallstedt.

3rd Round: Boldy went wide and hit the side of the net. Konecny ended the game with a five-hole goal.

FLYERS STARTING LINEUP

Alex Bump — Christian Dvorak — Travis Konecny
Denver Barkey — Noah Cates — Matvei Michkov
Carl Grundstrom  — Trevor Zegras — Owen Tippett
Nikita Grebenkin — Sean Couturier — Garnet Hathaway

Travis Sanheim — Rasmus Ristolainen
Cam York — Jamie Drydale
Nick Seeler -- Emil Andrae

Dean Vladar
{Samuel Ersson]

Postgame RAV4 (RAV4 Things Revisited)

1. Short shifts

Playing their third game in four nights (fourth in six), the Flyers knew they'd need to keep their shifts short and roll their lines as much as possible. Philly did a fine job of playing a structured first period with excellent pace.

During the second period, the Wild began to hem the Flyers in their defensive zone and wear down the visiting team. The Flyers had to bend but not break at times in the third period but stayed poised.

2. Vladar's "A" game needed

Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar needed a quick bounceback from his rough game on Monday against the New York Rangers. He did just that in Minnesota.

3. Flyers D: The top four

Philly needed strong performances from both the Travis Sanheim-Rasmus Ristolainen and Cam York-Jamie Drysdale pairings. All four delivered as did Emil Andrae in his first game back in the lineup.

4. Familiar face: Bobby Brink

Minnesota winger Bobby Brink was unable to play due to an upper-body injury. His first game against his former organization will  have to wait until next season.