Photo Credit: Our very own Rob Windfelder
The Flyers came back home after being away for a little over a week. Home just has a different feeling, it’s the home cooking, seeing friends again and family, especially around the holiday season.
One thing the Flyers did well was limit shots on net through the first two periods of play. This allowed the Flyers to get the first goal of the night off of goal by Bobby Brink in the second period to make the score 1-0. However, the Power Play once again placed the Flyers in an ugly hole. The Flyers Power Play has been atrocious, and that was once again evident on a Thursday night. They just have trouble setting up, they’re clutching their sticks, there is a lot of pressure appears when this team is on the main advantage. This allowed the Washington Capitals to end the second period leading 2-1.
However, their Penalty Kill is far different, and they play very loose. For their efforts, the Penalty Kill ranks fourth in the NHL with an 86.7% kill rate.
With the Flyers trailing by one in the third period, obviously, the Flyers were looking for anything positive, for an equalizer. Joel Farabee knotted the score at two in the third period, as he came through with a big goal at the time. However, the Capitals would not go down lightly, and Dylan Strome scored to make the score 3-2 Capitals a little under midway through the third stanza. It was the same old Flyers on this night, competitive and fierce looking for the equalizer. That’s how John Tortorella has built this team, and they found the equalizer with about three minutes remaining in the third period, as Owen Tippett scored the equalizer with about three minutes remaining to send the game into overtime.
Neither team scored in overtime, so the game went to a shootout. The Flyers were determined to get the two points with both teams trading early goals in the shootout, the Flyers first goal came courtesy of Sean Couturier. Bobby Brink scored the eventual game winner, and coincidentally enough it was his first ever shootout attempt in the NHL.
Of course, the Flyers won 4-3 in the shootout. The Flyers will square off against the Detroit Red wings on saturday, so let’s hope they can continue their success.
