KODAK Digital Still Camera
Photo Credit: FNG’s Rob Windfelder
Before we even get started here I want you to keep in mind that this was the very first preseason game for both of these teams. Both the Flyers and the Capitals dressed primarily young and inexperienced squads with just a smattering of veteran players throughout. Keep that context in mind as we break this game down.
This was not our chance to see how our young hopefuls held up against a team of seasoned NHL veterans. This was an opportunity to see how the prospects from both organizations faired against a formidable but comparable opponent. Bottom line it was a lot of fun, so let’s get into it.
Fedotov
We did get our first look at a settled and prepared Ivan Fedotov in the Flyers net. It would be shortsighted to form a definitive opinion based on the two periods he played today. That would be similar to judging him by the few games he was thrown into during the chaos of last Spring. But, that being said, Fedotov looked much more like the goaltender we expected in 2022 than the player who was thrown off of the rollercoaster and into the deep end last season.
Today he looked smooth and focused. His positioning, his recovery everything was on point. His puck handling was solid and precise. He just looked comfortable on his skates and confident in his net. It will be interesting to see where he is headed but he is clearly more himself after training in the area this Summer.
1st Period
The Flyers opened up the scoring just four minutes into the contest. Jett Luchanko carried the puck through the neutral zone dishing it ahead to Joel Farabee who found Bobby Brink on the doorstep. Brink roofed a backhander over the glove of Caps goaltender Hunter Shepard and the Flyers were on their way.
The Capitals looked to strike back when Andrew Cristall entered the Flyers zone on a clean breakaway. Cristall stickhandled in and attempted to go five hole on Fedotov who stayed with the shooter and squeezed the pads on him.
Ian Laperriere was behind the Flyers bench while head coach John Tortorella watched from upstairs. Laperriere was using his young players in various situations including using Matvei Michkov quarter-backing the right point on the power play. Lappy even had Luchanko aggressively forechecking on the penalty kill.
At 16:44 of the 1st Emil Andrae got the puck to Michkov behind the Capitals net. Michkov passed behind the net to Morgan Frost who wrapped around and launched a rising backhander past Hunter Shepard. The Flyers looked good in the 1st having no difficulty breaking out of their own zone or entering Washington’s.
With just 1:32 left in the opening period Cristall fired a shot from the point that deflected off Nick Seeler in front and into the Flyers net. The 1st period came to an end with the shots tied at 7 and the visiting Flyers up 2-1.
2nd Period
The Flyers scored on the power-play 10.22 into the 2nd. It was a beautiful tic-tac-toe, Frost, Tippett, Farabee top shelf glove side. That put the Flyers up 3-1 and the Caps used that cut off point to swap out goaltenders. Clay Stevenson took over in the net and being a preseason game that was probably planned ahead of time. Stevenson got right down to it stoning Luchanko on a 2-on-1 with Farabee.
With 1:25 left in the 2nd Ivan Miroshnichenko clonked one in off the bar past Fedotov on a Capitals power-play. The shots still favored the Flyers at the end of the period 15-13 and they took a one goal lead into the final stanza.
3rd Period
The final period started with Carson Bjarnason in the Flyers net and the Caps finishing up 1:42 in carry over power-play time. Bjarnason was perfect on the night. He was solid on every challenge. The Flyers used the 3rd period to run away with the score.
Brink scored on yet another backhander at 5:37 assisted by Luchanko and Farabee. Olle Lycksell lifted a backhander over Stevenson’s glove at 6:51. The assists went to Rhett Gardner and Noah Cates after a broken play in the Washington zone. (Clearly the backhander was the featured shot of the day).
Morgan Frost finished off the scoring for the night after Michkov threaded a beautiful pass through traffic to Farabee who moved the puck to Frost who scored his second goal of the contest. That put the final score at 6-2 Flyers. Bjarnason kept the door nailed shut for the rest of the period and the Flyers won their first preseason game of the 2024 decisively.
Farabee 1G- 3A, Frost 2G-1A, Brink 2G, Michkov 2A, Luchanko 2A, it was the Flyers night and a fantastic start to the preseason. Things will get harder. Cuts will come and competition will get stiffer. But for tonight, all is well in Flyers-World.
Shootout?
There was an exhibition shootout after the game. Brink and Tippett scored. Bjarnason put the finishing touches on a flawless night.
Extra Credit: This is way too early to say but if things keep going the way that they are it may be really hard to cut Jett Luchanko.
