Postgame 5: Flyers Overcome Habs via Shootout, 3-2

In the final game of a four-game homestand, the Philadelphia Flyers stuck to their game plan and battled through an early deficit. Ultimately, Philly defeated the Montreal Canadiens via shootout, 3-2 (1-0), at Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday evening.

The Flyers posted a 10-2 shot lead in the first period, but Montreal took a 2-1 lead to the first intermission on two deflected goals. The Flyers had a puck possession edge again in the second period, although not as dramatic as the opening period. Philly tied the game, and the match went into the third period knotted at 2-2. 

After a slow start early in the third period, the Flyers largely took over. Philly escaped a few odd-man rushes for Montreal but ended up with the edge in play and numerous scoring chances of their own. 

Owen Tippett and Morgan Frost (power play) scored for the Flyers. Sean Monahan and David Savard tallied first period goals for Montreal.

Overtime was dominated by the Flyers but they were unable to end the game in sudden death. Finally, in the shootout, Sean Couturier's goal in the top of the first round stood as the only successful attempt for either side.

Jamie Drysdale enjoyed a successful Flyers' debut, showing his exceptional skating and passing ability while logging 19:46 of ice time. He had a nice assist on Frost's power play goal and was in the middle of several prime scoring chances in OT. 

Just 89 seconds after the opening faceoff, Sean Monahan (11th goal of the season) deflected what otherwise would have been a harmless shot from Jusin Barron into the net. The second assist went to Kaiden Guhle.

Montreal scored again on their second shot of the game at the 11:28 mark.  A puck sent at the net from up high by David Savard (4th goal of the season) deflected into the net off an attempted block by Morgan Frost. The assists went to Michael Pezzetta and Juraj Slafkovsky. The goal was initially credited to Slafkovsky but it did not double deflect and the official scoring was corrected.

The Flyers got on the board at 15:41 of the first period. Travis Konecny sent a pass to Sean Couturier. Couturier's shot from the left circle was turned aside but rebounded to Owen Tippett on the right side. From a sharp angle, Tippett (14th goal of the season) fired the puck into the open near side of the net. The assists went to Couturier and Konecny.

After two near-goals that missed going over the goal line by maybe a couple inches and chances that went off the post, the Flyers finally drew even at 2-2. Making it three straight games for the Flyers with a power play goal, Philly scored at 8:30 of the second period. After taking a pass from Jamie Drysdale, Frost (7th goal of the season) measured a wrister from the top of the left circle and fired the puck into the net. The assists went to Drysdale and Tyson Foerster.

Samuel Ersson had no chance on either of Montreal's deflected goals in the first period and had to wait until 92 seconds into the second period to make his first save. Over the final 45 minutes of regulation and overtime, Ersson stopped all 17 shots he faced, of which six or seven were tough chances. He then went 3-for-3 in denying shootout attempts.

Cayden Primeau was under siege most of the night. He gave the Canadiens every chance to win -- and also had some help from his goal posts and chances that went along the goal line but not over it. Primeau stopped 37 of 39 shots in regulation and OT. He stopped two of three in the shootout.

The Flyers went 1-for-2 on the power play. The Canadiens were 0-for-1.

With Drysdale making his Flyers debut and Egor Zamula remaining in the lineup, the Flyers dressed 11 forwards and seven defensemen. Nicolas Deslauriers was a healthy scratch. The Flyers juggled several their wingers across most every line over the course of the game; a biproduct of dressing an odd number of forwards.

FLYERS STARTING LINEUP

86 Joel Farabee - 14 Sean Couturier - 11 Travis Konecny
74 Owen Tippett - 48 Morgan Frost - 89 Cam Atkinson
71 Tyson Foerster - 21 Scott Laughton - 19 Garnet Hathaway
(rotation) - 25 Ryan Poehling - 10 Bobby Brink

6 Travis Sanheim - 9 Jamie Drysdale
8 Cam York - 26 Sean Walker
24 Nick Seeler/ 5 Egor Zamula - 55 Rasmus Ristolainen

33 Samuel Ersson
[79 Carter Hart]

TURNING POINT

It would have been easy for the Flyers to give in to frustration when they fell behind, 2-0, early in the game despite Philadelphia's large-scale territorial domination. Tippett's goal ensured that the Flyers exited the period with a very manageable one-goal deficit.

Also notable: For the first two periods, the Canadiens had trouble generating much of any sustained attack. The Flyers came into the game looking for a reset on their commitment to structure, and they got it. There were some tense moments in the third period, especially early, but Philly took over again after settling in.

POSTGAME 5

1) Laughton hit the post on a backhander off a feed from Foerster on the first shift of the game. Montreal's Monahan scored at 1:29 for a quick 1-0 lead. The Flyers had three of the game's first four shots on goal through 5:22, but Montreal had the only one that went in the cash register.

At 7:25, Farabee had a good look at the net on a turnaround shot from center slot, He missed the net. Two shifts later, Frost set up a look for Foerster from the right hash marks. Primeau made the save, Moments later, at the 9:35 mark, Foerster was called by the far-side referee for a cross-checking penalty. Poehling had a shorthanded chance broken up at 8:24. Montreal made it 2-0 at 11:28.

The Flyers' Poehling came within a whisker of a goal late in the first period. After the play was reviewed on video at 19:21, the on-ice no-goal call was upheld. Replays did not clearly show the puck crossing the goal line.

2) First period shots on goal were 10-2 in Philadelphia's favor. Shot attempts were 20-8 Flyers. Scoring chances were 8-4 Flyers. High-danger chances were 3-2 Flyers. Faceoffs were 9-5 Montreal (led by Nick Suzuki's 5-for-6).

3) Farabee was set up below the right circle on a cross-seam pass from Konecny on the first shift of the second period. Primeau made the stop. Ersson finally made his first save of the game at 1:32 of the second period on a long-range shot from Jayden Struble.

Four minutes into the middle frame, Tippett had two scoring opportunities. The first hit the post. The latter was stopped from below the left circle. The Flyers came within an inch of a goal about seven minutes into the second period, but Monahan pulled it back from the goal line.

At 8:01, Montreal's Jordan Harris was called for delay of game as he put the puck over the glass from the defensive zone. The Flyers cashed in as Drysdale set up Frost's power play goal.

Konecny drew a holding penalty on Savard near the blueline at 14:16. The Flyers went to their second power play. Foerster passed up an open shot. Frost was blocked from the left circle by Guhle.

4) Second period shots on goal were 7-6 Flyers (17-8 Flyers overall). Shot attempts were 22-16 Flyers (43-24 Flyers overall). Scoring chances were 8-5 Flyers (17-8 Flyers overall). Faceoffs were 12-10 Flyers (19-17 Habs overall).

5) The Flyers gave up a 2-on-1 rush on the first shift of the third period. At the 53-second mark, the Canadiens nearly banked the puck off a player in front. On the next shift, Hathaway gave the puck away in the D-zone but Frost erased it by blocking a Harris shot attempt.

Montreal continued to generate more third period O-zone pressure than the Flyers early in the frame. Through 6:01, the Habs had 5-0 lead in shots on goal. On the next shift, Konecny fired a routine shot on net for Philly's first shot of the period. Philly had some attack time over the next few shifts.

Midway through the third period, with a stoppage at 10:02, third period shots on goal were 7-6 Montreal. On the next shift, Laughton worked a 2-on-1 with Tippett. Tippett hit the crossbar from the deep slot.

Couturier had a wide-open look from the center slot at 13:56 after Barron turned the puck over directly onto his stick. With time ticking down near four minutes, the line of Tippett, Frost and Atkinson generated a strong possession shift. On the next shift, Ersson stepped up to deny Josh Anderson from the low slot. With a stoppage at 17:03, third period shots on goal were 14-8 Flyers.

The Flyers iced the puck with 9.7 seconds left in regulation. The Habs won the draw and generated a point shot.

Third period shots on goal were 15-10 Flyers (32-18 Flyers overall). Shot attempts were 29-21 Flyers (72-45 Flyers overall). Scoring chances were 13-12 Canadiens (29-21 Philly overall). Faceoffs were 9-7 Flyers (26-25 Flyers overall, led by Laughton's 8-for-14).

In OT, Laughton fired a shot on net from above the left circle. Primeau stopped it and held for a whistle. At 1:51, York fired a shot on net from the deep center slot. At 2:16, Primeau poked the puck from Konecny. The Habs iced the puck at 2:49. At 3:28, Drysdale sprung Frost on a breakaway. Primeau kept the game with a save. Primeau's mask came off in the next shift. The whistle blew at 3:43.

On the next shift, the Flyers had a 2-on-1 and Laughton was denied. Montreal's Anderson had a one-on-one with Ersson the other way. Finally, the Flyers had a 2-on-1 and Tippett tried to power the puck to the net. The game went to the shootout.

Overtime shots on goal were 7-1 Flyers (38-19 Flyers for the 65-minute game). Overtime shot attempts were 7-2 Flyers (36-23 Flyers overall). OT scoring chances were 5-2 Flyers (34-23 Flyers overall). The Flyers won five of six faceoffs in sudden death.

In the first round of the shootout, Couturier moved from left to right and put a wrist shot though the five-hole. In the bottom of the first, Suzuki couldn't get Ersson to commit and eventually ran out of room near the right post.

In the second round, Konecny was denied by Primeau's left pad. Cole Caufield's five-hole attempt was sealed off by Ersson.

Finally, in the third round, Brink's backhander was stopped. Jesse Ylönen moved to his right but was unable to finish. Ersson has now stopped 13 of 15 shootout attempts and is 4-1 in the skills competition.