Photo Credits: FNG’s Rob Windfelder
The Philadelphia Flyers were in San Jose to faceoff against the Sharks on the final night of 2024. San Jose coming into this game at 11-22-6 are not the type of team that is going to make you pay for little mistakes. This offers their opposition more freedom to play a wide open style game, and that’s exactly what the Flyers did.
It was a fun game to watch. The Flyers exuded confidence, came out with a lot of jump, and seemed to really enjoy this one. Like I said pretty wide open lots of odd man rushes, breakaways, taking chances without much fear paying the price.
Never in doubt
Nick Seeler scored the only goal of the 1st period. He made a few power moves to get himself right up to the side of the net with the puck. He ripped one far side past Sharks netminder Alexandar Georgiev. Big carry, big finish. Jamie Drysdale logged the assist 5:59 into the period.
Ryan Poehling scored his 3rd goal of the season 12:09 into the 2nd period. He picked up a rebound in the slot from an Egor Zamula shot. It was Poehling vs Georgiev who was out of position from making the initial save. Poehling moved the puck from forehand to backhand to outreach the sprawling goaltender and put the puck in the back of the net.
Travis Konecny scored his 17th goal of the season at 13:44 on the power-play. Owen Tippett passed the puck cross ice to Konecny who teed up a one-timer from the dot. It was a rocket that put the Flyers up 3-0.
Ersson injured
Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson was having a solid night in the net shutting out the Sharks for the first two periods. Towards the end of the period Ersson came out of the net in a footrace to the puck with Luke Kunin. Ersson won the race but it was a photo finish that ended in a bit of a collision. Not sure if this is when the injury took place.
Ersson did not return to the net at the start of the 3rd period. No further update was available at the time of this writing. Aleksei Kolosov played out the rest of the night in the Flyers net. Both goaltenders were perfect on the night.
Egor Zamula scored the final goal of the game 2:30 into the 3rd period. It was a bank shot from an impossible angle. Zamula was way behind the goal line in the corner. He dumped the puck into traffic in front of the net and it ended up behind the goaltender. 4-0 Flyers.
Fireworks
Travis Konecny is always entertaining. He got into it with Kunin and eventually they both ended up in the box. The conversation continued from across the boxes. It went on, and on, and on. TK is as fearless as he is tenacious. He’s a Flyer through and through. He’s also the team’s leading scorer, by a lot. So many times in this town getting the big contract can be so hard to come back from. Not with this guy.
Samuel Ersson and Aleksei Kolosov combined efforts to shut out the Sharks. Ersson stopped 15 of 15. Kolosov stopped 7 of 7. Kolosov was tested a few times most notably by Macklin Celebrini all alone right out in front. Celebrini had the puck and all the time and space he could ask for but Kolosov hung tight.
That does it for 2024. The Flyers go into 2025 at hockey 500 with a record of 17-17-4. Happy New Year!
Next Up: Thursday night the Flyers play the Golden Knights in Vegas at 10PM
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