This game started out with a bang and ended with a whimper as they say. Christian Dvorak throws a lot of energy into his game and he doesn’t need to warm up to the situation. Tonight he put the Flyers on the board just 1:09 into the contest. He took the pass from Nikita Grebenkin and ripped a laser high glove side from the slot. That quick the Flyers were up 1-0.
The game was beginning to settle into a rhythm. The Flyers were breaking into the Toronto zone nicely with individual efforts by Bobby Brink and Trevor Zegras. Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar looked steady as usual and everything was going as planned.
Then 6:16 into the period Tyson Foerster absorbed a shot that dropped him straight to the ice. It hit him in the lower leg and he was down and out as the Leafs moved the puck around the Flyers zone until Auston Matthews beat Vladar blocker side with a wrister from the top of the circle.
2nd Period Struggles
The first half of the middle period was back and forth, up and down, with neither team able to break the tie. Almost nine minutes in the Leafs were called for a bench minor for too many men on the ice.
Trevor Zegras ripped a shot from slot that hit both posts without crossing the goal line. Double doink? Double dink? Former Flyer goaltender Anthony Stolarz was able to lay out and cover the puck. Not really sure if anyone actually knew where it was or where it had been before the whistle finally sounded.
Dan Vladar
This is where things started falling apart for the Flyers. Toronto was starting to increase pressuring in the Philadelphia zone while keeping the Flyers away from the dangerous areas at the other end of the ice. Jake McCabe lobbed a shot through traffic from the top of the slot. Vladar was heavily screened and seemed to never track the shot. The score was 2-1 Leafs 8:14 into the 2nd period.
Bobby Brink had only the second Flyers shot on goal with just 7:23 left in the period. The Flyers picked up a power-play and created a handful of chances. The attempts were full of good ideas but nothing was getting through.
With 2:26 on the clock Nicholas Robertson scored a beautiful bar down goal glove side goal. This marked the first time this season that Dan Vladar has allowed more that two goals in a game. Vladar has been rock solid between the pipes for the Flyers so far this season. Evan after tonight’s game he’s posting a 2.11 GA and .924 SV%. He’s been the difference in the games he has started. Tonight his feet touched the earth.
Just 33 seconds into the 3rd period Easton Cowan snapped a puck past Vladar to make it 4-1 in favor of the Leafs and that was the end of Vladar’s night.
Aleksei Kolosov
Kolosov got his first minutes in the Flyers net this season playing all but 33 seconds of the 3rd period. He stopped all seven shots that he faced. With the Flyers playing back-to-backs this weekend we assumed we would see Kolosov in the crease at some point. Just not this soon.
The Flyers appeared to be on the board again when Rodrigo Abols tapped in his own rebound. The goal was disallowed because it was ruled that his initial deflection came off of a high stick.
Tough Call
Matvei Michkov was given a two minute minor penalty for hitting Chris Taney from behind when he did not have possession of the puck. Taney dropped to the ice and laid there face down and motionless.
Michkov’s contact did not seem intentionally hostile but it wasn’t legal either. Taney skated into the collision as well. The hit had more of an impact and result that it appeared that it should have. Either way Taney did not have possession of the puck and he was hit from behind.
On top of all that it was Taney’s first game back after missing time with a concussion. He laid motionless on the ice for a considerable amount of time and was prepped by the medical staff and removed on a stretcher while the on ice officials discussed the penalty to be called. In the end it was a two minute minor for interference.
By the time the Flyers killed off the Michkov penalty they had 9:37 left in regulation to make up a three goal deficite. The Leafs started taking penalties for cross checking, roughing, boarding and you had to figure Michkov was somewhat of a marked man at that point. Down 4-1 and unable to capitalize on multiple man advantages it seemed the best plan for the duration of this one was to just get out in one piece.
Trevor Zegras
The Flyers did score on a power-play with their goaltender pulled and 3:52 left in regulation. Tyson Foerster scored the goal on a slap-shot from the dot. Trevor Zegras picked up the assist. Zegras’s home point streak now stands at eight games. He is tied with Peter Forsberg for the longest home point streak after joining the franchise.
Zegras is an absolute presence every shift that he skates. It’s been undeniable. If he’s out there he’s making something happen. He moves the puck well from one end to the other. His puck control and patience is remarkable. When he is not on the ice you’re looking forward to his next shift.
Toronto scored their 5th goal of the night into the Flyers empty net with 18 seconds left on the clock. This game ended 5-2. The Flyers have been red hot at home, tonight was just not their night.
There is no time to sit around licking wounds the Calgary Flames are in town to faceoff against the Flyers at 7:00 PM Sunday night.
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