Photo Credits: FNG’s Rob Windfelder
This was a strange self-leveling hockey game. It took overtime to decide a really even game between two strong mid-level ice hockey clubs. Every single points counts right now especially for the Flyers in the super tight Metropolitan Division. Two points would have been nice but you’ve got to be grateful for one. At the end of tonight’s contests the Flyers are sitting one point ahead of the Penguins and Devils, and just four points out of 1st.
Vegas opened the scoring 6:07 into the opening period. The Knights just sliced through the Flyers defense as Zach Whitecloud scored his first goal since February 9th 2021.
The Flyers scored to even things up with 3:49 remaining in the opening period. Travis Sanheim completed a beautiful cross slot pass to Trevor Zegras who slammed it home to tie the score at one.
2nd Period
This game had a nice physical component to it. Both teams delivering plenty of hits and finishing checks. Philly just slightly credited with the edge 25-23.
The score remained knotted at one until 12:53 into the middle period with Vegas on the power-play. Dan Vladar made the initial stop on a Pavel Dorofeyev shot from the slot but bobbled a rebound out of his glove. Reliable Mark Stone was right in front to pick up the puck and send it home. 2-1 Vegas.
With 3:52 left in the 2nd period Carl Grundstrom passed the puck to Christian Dvorak in the Vegas zone. Dvorak threaded a cross slot pass to Noah Juulsen in the circle. Juulsen wasted no time smacking a slapshot short side beating Knights goaltender Akira Schmid to tie the score at two. It was Juulsen’s first goal in 75 games and his first as a Flyer. It tied his career high in goals for a season.
Slam Dunk It
Something we saw on a few occasions tonight was passes through traffic in the slot that found an open man at the side of the net with plenty to shoot at. Often times you see players nonchalantly tap these types of opportunities into the net. But many times you see a tap that allows the netminder just enough time to move laterally and make the spectacular stop.
You can’t worry about looking like a hot dog or a show boat or like you’re rubbing it in their face if you smack the heck out of the puck to send it into the gaping net. You can’t worry about such things, do not give the goalie the opportunity to get over, slam dunk it! As we saw tonight, it gets the job done. If it hurst someone’s feelings, oh well.
3rd Period
There was no scoring in the final period of regulation. It was more of the same. Solid even-steven hockey. Both teams had a number of chances. Both goaltenders held things down. The line of Konecney, Zegras, and Dvorak was dominant again tonight. Currently the team’s most dangerous combination.
Owen Tippett was a standout in this game putting in the hard work along the boards. Winning puck battles at both ends of the ice.
OT
This game needed the extra session to settle the score. The Flyers won more faceoffs and Vegas had more turnovers but besides that the stats could not be much more alike. It was odd to see the scoreboard at the end of regulation showing matching shot totals through all three periods.
Somebody had to win this game and unfortunately the winning goal came after an unfortunate series of events deep in the Flyers zone. Travis Konecny looked like he was fading back into his own zone to regroup when the puck jumped off his stick and went right to Jack Eichel. Konecny went at him but ended up with his stick almost caught up under Eichel’s arm. So TK backed off to avoid getting penalized.
Konecny then bit on a Jack Eichel fake leaving him unchallenged as he passed the puck through traffic to a wide open Mark Stone in front of the Flyer net. Stone dunked it in scoring his second goal of the contest to win the game 3-2.
Up Next: The final game of the Flyers six game homestand and the 1st game of a home-and-home back-to-back against the Carolina Hurricanes in Philly Saturday night at 7:00 PM.
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