The Capitals are a much stronger team than the Flyers. They are currently sitting in 1st place in the Metropolitan Division with a 36-11-7 record. The Flyers are below 500, they just traded two of their key players, and their replacements have not suited up yet.
They are still missing Owen Tippett, Ryan Poehling, and Rasmus Ristolainen due to injury.. Samuel Ersson was given the night off. Backup goaltender Ivan Fedotov got the start. Many players were up from the Phantoms to fill the slots. It seemed the Flyers didn’t stand a chance of hanging with the Capitals in this one. Yet for most of the night they did just fine.
Matvei Michkov
As soon as this tilt got underway Michkov was off to the races. He had a ton of jump, looked rested, and had two strong scoring chances in the opening minutes of the 1st period. The Flyers were putting on sustained pressure in the Washington end. The Caps were chasing the game and eventually took a penalty while attempting to slow things down.
The Flyers power-play looked like it may have improved at the start of the season but it is totally back in its dismal groove. The man advantage slowed the Flyers offence and gave the Capitals the break they needed. After the penalty expired Ivan Fedotov made a huge pad save on a Tom Wilson breakaway.
As the period was winding down Travis Sanheim hit Michkov with a stretch pass springing him on a breakaway from the Washington blue line. Michkov entered the zone cutting from left to right then firing a wrist shot beating Charlie Lindgren glove side with 2:29 left in the first.
Gotta play till the horn
The Flyers have been dogging themselves lately letting their guard down and giving up dangerous chances at the end of periods. Tonight Alex Ovechkin received a cross slot pass and banged one home with just :52.3 seconds left in the 1st period.
The Caps struck again 4:17 into the second. Connor McMichael deflected an Aliaksei Protos shot up and over the shoulder of Ivan Fedotov to take the 2-1 lead.
Tyson Foerster
The Flyers tied the game at two with a much needed power-play goal 7:23 into the 2nd period. Travis Konecny passed the puck to Emil Andrae in the high slot. Andrae teed up a beautiful old school slap shot and it was a laser. Tyson Foerster got a piece of it to deflect it past the Washington goaltender. It was Foerster’s 15th goal of the season.
The Flyers took the lead at 11:19 on Michkov’s second goal of the contest. Michkov started the play passing the puck to Jamie Drysdale. Drysdale made the cross ice pass to Rodrigo Abols. Abols wound up as if he was going to take the shot on Lindgren. Instead he slapped a pass to Michkov at the side of the net who tapped it in the wide open side of the net. It was a very impressive passing play by everyone involved especially Abols.
The Flyers kept plugging away but couldn’t get the puck past Lindgren. Scott Laughton hit a post. The Flyers passing was spot on and Bobby Brink was relentless. The 2nd period ended with the Flyers up 3-2.
No cigar
Early in the final period Michkov was oh so very close to scoring an insurance goal and completing his hattrick. He was behind the Washington net and had a decision to make. Michkov’s Michigan attempts have been a bone of contention between himself and Flyers head coach John Tortorella. Tortorella can be very old school about certain things and the Michigan style goal is one of them.
Michkov is a competitive players who loves giving the fans what they want. Always good about allowing photos or giving out sticks and pucks. Heck he even stopped to sign a water bottle on his way up the tunnel after being ejected from a game. It could have been the crowning goal on a three goal night against a 1st place team of course he was going to do it his way. It surely would have bought the house down. He scooped the puck up onto his stick and completed the wrap around. The top corner was open. His attempt hit Charlie Lindgren in the mask and stayed out of the net.
The one that got away
Lars Eller tied the game at three 6:23 into the third. He planted himself at the front of the left circle and potted a snap shot past Fedotov. Jakob Chychrun scored what tuned out to be the game winning goal beating Fedotov with a snap shot with 7:55 left in regulation.
The Flyers pulled Fedotov with two minutes left in the game. Ovechkin stared longingly at the empty net down the other end of the ice as the Flyers mounted pressure but eventually the clock clicked the game to a close. Caps win 4-3.
Next Up: The Pittsburgh Penguins come to Philly Saturday night at 7:00 PM.
