Photo Credits: FNG’s Rob Windfelder
The Metropolitan Division is so tight right now that only two points separate the 2nd place Devils from the 7th place Philadelphia Flyers.
This game started out just as tight as the division these two teams hail from. In the opening minutes both squads had to work for every square inch of ice. However it was only a matter of time before New Jersey started to open things up.
The Devils were testing Flyers netminder Dan Vladar early and often. Timo Meier opened the scoring 7:37 into the 1st period. The Flyers could not gain control of the puck in their own zone and the Devils were going rapid fire until Meier finally smacked a rebound home. The Devils were outshooting the Flyers 8-1 at that point and there’s only so much their goaltender could do.
Over the Top
Sorry to reference an 80’s arm wrestling movie here but it is a fitting analogy I swear. The Flyers have had more games go to overtime this season than any other team in the NHL. Their overtime record is 6-0-3. This team is no stranger to the long drug out battle of wills.
This game against their division rivals was something entirely different. The Flyers took the Devils by surprise striking with lightning speed. The Flyers pushed and did not let up until the Devils hand was on the table. There was plenty of hockey left to be played but for all intents and purposes this game was over 12:32 into the 1st period. The Flyers went all in and it worked.
It all started nine minutes into the period when Noah Cates shoveled a rebound past Jersey goaltender Jake Allen to tie the score at one.
At 12:06 captain Sean Couturier slid the puck through the neutral zone to Matvei Michkov sending him into the Devils zone on a breakaway. Michkov kept it simple and beat Allen blocker side. 2-1 Flyers.
Nine seconds later Noah Cates threw a saucer pass cross ice to Tyson Foerster who wasted no time teeing up a one timer that easily found the back of the net. 3-1 Flyers.
Unbelievably seventeen seconds later, again it was Cates to Foerster who wristed home his second goal of the night. 4-1 Flyers.
A New Franchise Record
The Flyers scored three goals in a matter of 26 seconds setting a new franchise record. The previous record of three goals in 35 seconds has stood since March 1st of 1979. It all happened so quickly that Flyers announcer Lou Nolan announced the specifics for all three goals at the same time.
Good night nurse, that’s all she wrote, do not resuscitate, the Flyers destroyed the Devils in the first period and now all they had to do was keep them on the mat. It doesn’t matter who you are, you go down 4-1 in the 1st and your gameplan goes out the window. The Devils were chasing the game from that point on.
Not saying it was easy, but as long as the Flyers could avoid an epic meltdown this was going to be their night. Every so often the Flyers would let their guard down and the Devils often came close to making them pay for their indiscretions.
Dan Vladar once again was spectacular in the Flyers net. Tonight was the Bernie Parent tribute game and what better way to pay tribute to the all time great than by putting on a fine display of goaltending while wearing Bernie’s beloved orange and black.
Bobby Brink made it 5-1 scoring his 6th goal of the season 11:42 into the 2nd period. Sean Couturier fed a pass sending Brink into the Jersey zone. Brink went high blocker side beating Jake Allen, who was surprisingly still in the New Jersey net.
Nico Hischer scored on a wrist shot through traffic at 16:16 sending this game into the final period with the Flyers ahead by the score of 6-2.
The Devils continued to push, Vladar continued to push back. Things got chippy at times but not out of hand. New Jersey pulled their goaltender to add an extra skater with almost seven minutes left in regulation.
Nico Hischer scored his second goal of the game off a deflection in the slot with 6:33 left to make it 5-3. The next goal would be pivotal and that goal went to the Flyers.
Owen Tippett lobbed a pass to a streaking Trevor Zegras sending him in on a breakaway. The pass was beautifully executed and Zegras had plenty of time and space to work with. He chipped one up high from in close beating Jake Allen glove side with 4:39 left in regulation.
Jersey took a late penalty and at that point became resigned to their fate. This game had belonged to the Flyers since midway through the opening period.
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