Postgame 5: Flyers Prevail in Boston Shootout, 4-3

The Philadelphia Flyers earned their first win of the 2023 preseason with a 4-3 (2-0) shootout win over the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on Friday evening. Bobby Brink paced the Philadelphia attack on this night with a regulation goal and a power play assist before netting the game-winner on an artistic goal in the shootout.

In regulation, Joel Farabee (1st of the preseason), Ryan Poehling (PPG, 2nd), and Brink scored for Philadelphia. After a scoreless overtime period that featured a penalty shot for Owen Tippett, a 2-on-1 involving Brink and a Farabee breakaway, the game went to the skills competition. Brink elevated a backhander upstairs in the bottom of the first round. Morgan Frost ended the shootout with a deliberate pace from the left circle, stutter step and wrist shot finish similar to his shootout goal last season against Edmonton.

David Pastrnak tallied power play and four-on-four goals (1st and 2nd) markers for the Bruins. Subsequently, Frederic Brunet scored just as a Flyers penalty expired to temporarily establish a 3-2 lead for Boston. In the shootout, Matthew Poitras and Pastnak were unable to convert their attempts in the top of the 1st and 2nd rounds.

Samuel Ersson started Friday's game in goal for the Flyers, stopping eight of 10 shots in 28;59. Cal Petersen went the rest of the way, denying 16 of 17 shots in 35;50 before going 2-for-2 in the shootout. Reigning Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark went the distance for the Bruins, denying 33 of 36 shots in regulation and overtime. He was 0-for-2 in the shootout.

FLYERS STARTING LINEUP
Owen Tippett - Morgan Frost - Bobby Brink
Joel Farabee - Elliot Desnoyers - Tyson Foerster
Nic Deslauriers - Ryan Poehling - Garnet Hathaway
Jordy Bellerive - Jacob Gaucher - Cooper Marody

Egor Zamula - Travis Sanheim
Victor Mete - Helge Grans
Nick Seeler - Louie Belpedio

Samuel Ersson
Cal Petersen

PP1: Brink. Poehling, Tippett, Foerster, Sanheim
PP2: Farabee, Frost, Deslauriers Mete, Zamula

POSTGAME 5

1. The Flyers played a dominating first period, getting 11 of the game's first 12 shots on goal and taking a 2-1 lead to intermission. On the unassisted Farabee goal at 7:31 of the first period, Farabee intercepted a puck in the neutral zone, counterattacked and fired a left circle shot past Ullmark's glove.

The Poehling power play goal was a slam dunk after lengthy offensive zone possession and crisp puck movement by the Flyers. Brink made a gorgeous feed to Poehling, who tucked the puck in the open right side of the net at 17:27. The assists went to Brink and Foerster.

2. After getting outshot 12-5 by the Flyers in the opening period, the Bruins came on in the second. Boston won the second stanza with a 2-0 goal margin and 12-6 shot advantage. Pastrnak, who sniped a shot from the left hash marks in the first period, soloed after a Farabee giveaway on a 4-on-4 headman pass attempt. A 61-goal scorer last season, Pastrnak beat Ersson to the glove side again. Charlie McAvoy and Pavel Zacha assisted on the first goal. The second was unassisted.

When Petersen came into the game, he didn't have an auspicious start. Brunet's even strength goal scored just after a power play expired, was partially stopped by Petersen but leaked through enough to cross the goal line. Kevin Shattenkirk and Georgii Merkulov drew the assists at the 15:00 mark.

3. Petersen more than redeemed himself in the third period, overtime and the shootout. He made a slew of outstanding saves, especially late in the third period and overtime. This late third period gem against Danton Heinen on a feed from Merkulov was an outright robbery by the Flyers' netminder.

4. The third period was back-and-forth, with several momentum swings, but the Flyers started to take over the game again and had multiple scoring opportunities after Brink tied the game at 3-3 with a snipe from the deep slot at 4:07. It was a perfect shot by Brink but don't overlook the forechecking work and pass by Jacob Gaucher leading up to the goal. Nick Seeler earned a secondary assist.

5. Frost didn't get on the scoresheet despite two Grade A scoring chances and a pair of potential assist opportunities that didn't end up as Philadelphia goals. However, as the night went along, he got better and better both in creating offense and winning defensive battles after a fairly quiet first period from him. Finally, he got some payoff by ending the shootout in the second round.