Postgame 5: Flyers Drill Oilers, 4-1

The Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Edmonton Oilers, 4-1, at the Wells Fargo Center on Thursday evening. Strong goaltending by Carter Hart, opportunistic offense, big plays on the penalty kill and a hardworking overall effort carried the day.

Joel Farabee gave the Flyers a first-period lead. Cam Atkinson doubled it early in the middle frame. Zach Hyman subsequently cut the Philadelphia lead back to one before a shorthanded goal by Sean Walker restored a two-goal edge late in the frame. Atkinson made it 4-1 early in the third period with his second goal -- and the second assists apiece for Owen Tippett and Sean Couturier -- on a breakaway goal.

Joel Farabee gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead at 15:50 on a gorgeous give-and-go with Bobby Brink. Brink made a perfect return feed and Farabee (2nd goal of the season) wired it home. Travis Sanheim received the secondary assist.

Philly opened a 2-0 lead at 3:54 of the second period. Tippett spun past Evan Bouchard -- who had turned over the puck a moment earlier --  with a spin move along the left half boards. Finding Atkinson open near the net, Tippett made an accurate pass and Atkinson (2nd) finished it off. The lone assist went to Tippett.

The Oilers drew within 2-1 at 15:23 of the middle stanza. From inside the point, Cody Ceci found Zach Hyman (2nd goal) near the post. Emil Andrae was the closest defender. Hyman elevated a backhander over Hart for the goal. Connor McDavid earned the secondary assist.

The Flyers had a shorthanded 2-on-1 rush that they turned into a goal at 18:29. After a lead pass from Couturier, Sean Walker (1st goal as a Flyer), fired a shot over Jack Campbell's right shoulder into the net for a 3-1 lead. Couturier earned the only assist. Joel Farabee was the other player with Walker on the 2-on-1.

Tippett connected again with Atkinson (second goal of the game, 3rd of the season) to spring him over the middle for a breakaway goal. Atkinson made a slick move on the forehand and slid the puck home at 4:17. Couturier drew the second assist. For the second time, Edmonton's Bouchard was badly beaten on a Tippett-to-Atkinson goal sequence.

Hart was quietly excellent in net for the Flyers. He made several tough saves look routine and stepped up big a couple times when Edmonton was threatening. Hart slowed the play down when he needed to, especially when the MCDavid line was on the ice. Overall he finished with 22 saves on 23 shots. 

Campbell took the loss. He made 27 saves on 31 shots.

The Flyers dressed the same forward lineup as they did in the home opener against Vancouver on Tuesday. There was one change on defense, with Emil Andrae entering the lineup in place of Egor Zamula. In the second period, veteran defenseman Marc Staal exited the game with an injury. Philadelphia went the rest of the game with five defensemen.

FLYERS STARTING LINEUP

11 Travis Konecny-21 Scott Laughton-71 Tyson Foerster
74 Owen Tippett-14 Sean Couturier-89 Cam Atkinson
86 Joel Farabee-27 Noah Cates-10 Bobby Brink
44 Nick Deslauriers-25 Ryan Poehling-Garnet Hathaway

8 Cam York-6 Travis Sanheim
18 Marc Staal-26 Sean Walker
36 Emil Andrae-24 Nick Seeler

79 Carter Hart
[33 Samuel Ersson]

TURNING POINT

Two big plays in the second period -- Tippett's spin-move setup up of Atkinson for a temporary 2-0 lead and especially Walker's shorthanded tally at the expense of Edmonton's lethal power play -- put the Flyers in the driver's seat with a two-goal edge they took into the third period.

POSTGAME 5

1) Brink set up Cates on a nicely executed play. York made a good play on the pinch to generate a scoring chance on the backhand. On the next play, Sanheim showed a quick stick to keep the puck in and pass to Atkinson for a look from the slot. Hart made a pair of routine stops. Shots were 3-2 Flyers through 6:02.

Midway through the period, Deslauriers intercercept a failed clear inside the Edmonton zone for a scoring chance.

The Flyers went to the game's first power play at 17:22. Mattias Ekholm went off for slashing Atkinson in the attack zone. With a chance to build a 2-0 lead, the Flyers did not do much with the opportunity.

2) First period shots on goal were 11-8 in favor of the Flyers. Shot attempts were 22-19 Oilers. Scoring chances were 10-9 Flyers (5-2 high-danger edge to Edmonton, but Hart was sharp in net). Faceoffs were 14-9 Flyers, with Cates going 5-for-5. The Flyers were credited with four takeaways in the first period and blocked eight Edmonton shot attempts. York led the way with two blocks.

3) Edmonton had four of the first six shots on net -- Hart remained very sharp -- in the second period but the Flyers were the more opportunistic club. Early in the period,Foegele collided in the defensive corner. He went to the bench at first and then went up the tunnel.

Buoyed by his earlier goal, Atkinson pounced on a loose puck and fired a tough shot on net from center slot at 8:58

The Oilers went on their first power play at 10:22 of the second period. York was sent off for holding Derek Ryan. Edmonton generated a close-range chance for Zach Hyman among two shots on net. The Flyers killed off the rest.

Foerster took a high-stick near the offensive right circle from Mattias Ekholm at 12:57

The Flyers again generated little pressure.

Shortly after Hyman got Edmonton on the board, Brink was utterly robbed -- on both sides of the net -- by Campbell. The followup especially looked as if it was a sure goal before the goalie made the stop.

At 17:31, a seemingly embellished tumble by Draisaitl drew a neutral zone tripping penalty on Atkinson. The Flyers stepped up on the kill to generate a big shorthanded goal.

The Flyers took 1:49 of power play time into the third period as Laughton drew a holding penalty on Darnell Nurse at 1:49.

4) Second period shots were 12-7 Oilers. Shot attempts were 19-10 Oilers. Scoring chances were 9-5 Oilers (5-4 high-danger edge to the Oilers). Second period faceoffs were 13-12 Flyers (27-21 Flyers through 40 minutes, led by Cates winning seven of nine). The Flyers blocked seven Edmonton shots in the second period, bringing their two period total to 15 (York and Seeler had three apiece through two periods).

5) With Philly ahead 4-1, Brink caught a high-stick from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Flyers went back to the power play. The Flyers did not score.

However, after Atkinson's second goal of the game, the Flyers stepped up the pressure again on the Oilers. Through 12:14, third period shots were 12-3 in the Flyers favor (28-22 Flyers for the game to that point). Philly also had seven of the period's eight scoring chances to that point and three of the four high-danger ones.

With 2:40 left in the game, Hart denied Foegele in close with his glove. Campbell returned the favor at the other end on TIppett from the slot.