Photo Credits: FNG’s Rob Windfleder
Thursday night the Flyers routed the Chicago Blackhawks 5-1 on home ice. As time ran down the appreciative fans in attendance gave them the rousing round of applause they deserved.
Seeing the Flyers cruise to victory after taking an early lead seems like such a rare occurrence. This group of players is not necessarily traveling the path of least resistance. The organization readily admits that all the parts are not there yet. This is a rebuild and it will take patience.
In the meantime these players are living their dream of playing in the NHL, just not the way they may have imagined. Some of them are spending their prime years working their butts off night after night for every point they can get.
It’s not the easiest road but it is their opportunity to play in the most elite hockey league on the planet You only go around once, and this is their chance to leave their mark. It’s hard enough to ask the fans to be patient. Imagine what a challenge it can be for the players.
The Flyers are a hard working hockey team. So many of their points this season come from overtime wins and shootouts. Nothing comes easy. As we’ve been told so many times, all the parts are not there yet. Still they are asked to give their best night after night. Sure they’re literally “living the dream”, but their living it the hard way. It was nice to see this group finally have a night where almost every single bounce went their way.
The right place at the right time
Sometimes hockey is all about being in the right place at the right time. Tonight that place was just to the left of the net at the top of the crease. Four of the Flyers five goals were scored from that exact area.
As soon as this game started it was giveaway city in the Chicago end. Both teams racked up giveaways over the course of the night but the Blackhawks were over the top egregious.
Just 48 seconds into this tilt Travis Konecny wrapped the puck into the Chicago zone. Goaltender Spencer Knight attempted to play the puck. Christian Dvorak intercepted the pass behind the net and calmly threw it out front to Alex Bump who tapped it into the open net.
Moments later it was Luke Glendenning with the steal to Sean Couturier at the side of the net to tap it home, 2-0.
5:14 into the 2nd period. Trevor Zegreas took a shot from the right circle. The rebound went right to Denver Barkey at the side of the net, 3-0.
Just to break things up a bit Connor Bedard scored his 30th goal of the season 11:11 into the middle period. It was a rebound from a wrap around attempt and it was the only puck that got past Samuel Ersson all night.
Matvei Michkov absorbed a hit into the side-boards to make the pass to Noah Cates springing him in on a breakaway. Cates was patient with the puck before going backhand and beating Knight, 4-1.
With just 25 seconds remaining in the 2nd period Owen Tippett made a pass across the slot to Dvorak who just happen to be standing at the top of the crease on the left hand side of the net, 5-1.
Ersson
Samuel Ersson had another good night and won his 4th start in a row. He allowed just one goal. He has allowed just 7 goals in his last 5 appearances which includes 4 full games and one period vs NYR.
The Flyers spent the final period protecting their 4 goal lead until the final horn. They are a better team than Chicago and as previously stated the hockey gods were smiling upon them Thursday night, good for them, they earned it.
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