Highlights Beyond Highlights- Dec. 29 vs. Kraken

After a five-hour plane ride, a three-hour time change, a border crossing, a game 24 hours ago and then yet another trip across the border, the Flyers would have had every excuse to lose a game going away to a Kraken team that is getting excited for Sunday’s Winter Classic and wanted to put on a good showing not only for their fans, but for all the family and friends coming into town for the big event – most of whom arrived in time for Friday’s game.

But that’s not this team. Even though the circumstances were far from ideal, the Flyers still found a way to frustrate Seattle for 45 minutes and then some, making it to overtime and coming out of this back-to-back with three of a possible four points.

Here’s some of how they did it:

The Flyers create offense by forcing turnovers and mistakes and then immediately charging the other way. Here’s two examples of first Owen Tippett and then Sean Couturier relieving Kraken players of the puck. In Tippett’s case, he has an immediate scoring opportunity.  Couturier’s play is in the defensive zone and starts a breakout.

Then sometimes the other team is going to seize momentum and the Flyers won’t be on the attack.  In those cases, they have become very adept at riding out the threat. Watch in this clip how many times a Flyer gets a stick on a pass or blocks a shot. For the other team, it’s the hockey equivalent of having to drive down a muddy dirt road full of bumps and ruts. The Flyers may not always be able to block a pass completely, but a deflection might send it into an opponent’s skates instead of onto his tape, which slogs down the attack. Then when a chance does materialize, more often than not, Carter Hart or Sam Ersson have been there to snuff it out.

Finally, here’s a look at the Flyers’ goal for the game. It’s another patented shortie, with Scott Laughton and Travis Konecny joining forces.  But it starts with yet another one-touch outlet pass from Travis Sanheim that immediately switches the Flyers from defense to offense. Most opposing power plays aren’t prepared to make the switch from offense to defense that quickly, and that’s why the Flyers have nine shorthanded goals already this season.