Samuel Ersson had to step up at various juntures and delivered an encouraging performance. He earned the win with 21 saves on 22 shots.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who was spectacular in a 38-save win over the Flyers on Wednesday, got a bit roughed up in the rematch. He finished with 14 saves on 19 shots in absorbing the loss.
The Flyers went 0-for-4on the power play. The Sabres were 0-for-3.
FLYERS STARTING LINEUP
74 Owen Tippett- 27 Noah Cates - 89 Cam Atkinson
86 Joel Farabee - 21 Scott Laughton - 10 Bobby Brink
11 Travis Konecny - 48 Morgan Frost - 71 Tyson Foerster
44 Nic Deslauriers- 25 Ryan Poehling- Garnet Hathaway
8 Cam York - 6 Travis Sanheim
24 Nick Seeler- 26 Sean Walker
5 Egor Zamula - 37 Louie Belpedio
33 Samuel Ersson
[40 Cal Petersen]
TURNING POINT
The back-to-back goals in the opening minute-and-a-half of the game put the Flyers on the path to a dominant first period. Later in the game, the penalty kill played a major part in stifling attempted pushes by the Sabres. Ersson was a major part of it.
POSTGAME 5
1. After the Flyers' quick goals by Laughton and Belpedio, the Flyers nearly made it 3-0 just two minutes into the game. Poehling had a great chance near the net. Luukkonen made the stop.
The Flyers went on the game's first power at 7:11 of the first period. was sent off for tripping Foerster. Foerster later had the best chance of the man advantage, pulling a pass across the goal line. He was unable to elevate the puck over Luukkonen from tight space.
Tippett had an excellent scoring chance as the shots on goal became 9-1 in the Flyers favor. The Flyers went back to the power play at 7:59. Krebs clipped Foerster with a high stick in the Buffalo zone. A patient Frost set up a Grade A chance for Konecny but the shot was blocked. Frost attempted two follow-ups but he, too, was blocked.
After the Konecny goal made it 3-0 Flyers, the Sabres had their first extended possession shift of the first period. Ersson came out to challenge Owen Power and made the save.
As the reminder of the period unfolded, the Sabres made their first multi-shift mini push of the opening period. Ersson held the fort with a couple of good saves.
2. First period shots on goal were 9-4 Flyers. Shot attempts were 22-11 Flyers. Scoring chances were 14-4 Flyers with a 7-2 high-danger edge to Philly. Faceoffs were 7-5 Flyers with Frost leading at 4-for-5. Note: Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson left the game after the first period. He did not return.
3. A deflected shot was stopped by Ersson moments into the second period. At the 19-second mark, Sanheim was called for a hooking penalty. Buffalo went on their first power play.
The Flyers had some nervous moments right off the on their first PK bat, including a Jeff Skinner chance frome near the right hash marks. The Sabres had continuous possession for the first minute. The Flyers had a 2-on-1 shorthanded chance but Konecny was unable to connect with Laughton on a saucer pass. The rest of the penalty was killed without another threat from Buffalo.
Right after the penalty, Frost set up Konecny from the slot for a very dangerous scoring chance. Buffalo went back to the attack. Through five minutes of the second period, shots for the stanza were 7-1 Sabres.
At 6:30, Konecny found himself all alone near the net again. He was unable to get the chance to go in. On the next shift, Laughton started a promising sequence. A minute later, Atkinson nearly found the five-hole after Luukkonen missed a poke check.
The score remained 3-0 for the game and the Flyers were officially still stuck on two shots on goal for the period as the game moved past the halfway mark of regulation.
With time near the 14-minute mark of the second period, the Flyers got hemmed in their own end. However, when play moved the other way, Hathaway scored to make it a four-goal edge for the Flyers.
After a failed Flyers' clearing chance, Ersson came up big to stop Tage Thompson. On the next shift, Kyle Okposo had a scoring chance. Again, Ersson was equal to the test.
4. Second period shots on goal favored Buffalo by a 12-6 margin (16-15 Sabres through two periods). Shot attempts were 21-15 Sabres. Scoring chances were 10-9 Sabres with a 6-5 high-danger edge (23-14 Flyers in overall scoring chances, 11-8 Flyers in high-danger opportunities). Second period faceoffs were 9-4 Sabres (14-9 Sabres through two periods).
5. Peterka missed an open net from the slot on the opening shift of the second period. At 1:01, Ersson stopped a routine shot from outside the right dot. Seeler iced the puck at 1:29. Finally at 2:23, the Sabres got on the board to cut their deficit to three goals.
The Sabres continued to push. At 7:15, York tripped Peterka near the Flyers' net. The Sabres went to their second power play. Buffalo applied heavy pressure but the Flyers got through the kill with several stops by Ersson. at 11:28, the Flyers rebuilt their four-goal edge.
With four minutes left, Tippett hit the post on a semi-breakaway. The score remained 5-1. More importantly given the score, the wind seemed to be taken out of Sabres' sails ever since Brink restored the four-goal lead.
Dylan Cozens took exception to a hit by Hathaway and delivered a retaliatory cross-check to the back. Hathaway whirled around, and the two dropped the gloves. Hathaway got the better of the fight at 18:54.
Third period shots were 6-4 Sabres (22-19 Sabres for the game). Final shot attempts were 54-52 Flyers (20-16 Sabres in the final stanza). Third period scoring chances were 12-9 Sabres (32-28 Flyers for the game) with a 5-4 high-danger edge to Buffalo (16-14 Flyers overall). Third period faceoffs were 7-5 Sabres (21-14 Sabres overall).
