Flyers Wild Comeback in Minnesota

Photo Credit: Dana Fienberg

The Philadelphia Flyers were in Minnesota Friday night to face off against the Wild. We are at the midway point of the season and the Flyers are 22-14-6 at vast improvement over last season. The Wild are 17-19-5. This was a game that saw Bobby Brink return to his hometown as a healthy scratch. Flyers head coach John Tortorella has not been hesitant to sit players in their home town. Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury needs just one more win to pass Patrick Roy on the NHL all time wins list. Roy and Fleury are currently tied for 2nd with 551 behind all time leader Martin Brodeur 691.

Philly vs Minnesota

The Wild outshot the Flyers in the scoreless 1st period 11-10. Both teams had their share of chances, the Flyers as of late have been pushing play closer to their opponent’s net and moving the puck further in looking for shots from more dangerous areas. They continued that trend in this contest.

Jamie Drysdale

This was our second look at new acquisition Jamie Drysdale. Drysdale is not yet familiar with his teammates or all of the team’s systems but it is obvious he knows his way around the ice. He is a fantastic skater and can also be an offensive threat. He made a stand-out defensive play in the 1st period against Marcus Foligno. Drysdale took Faligno out of the play on the rush into the Flyers zone, shutting him down, and effectively pinning him to the boards.

Fisticuffs

Nicolas Deslauriers squared off with Pat Maroon 14:17 into the 1st. Both players had ahold of the others jersey. Deslauriers’s approach was to hold onto his own shoulder pads with his free hand to keep Maroon from pulling him around by the neck. Big Nick finally got Maroon turned around and took him to the ice with four consecutive shots to the back of the head.

Just 51 seconds into the second period Marcus Johansson put the Wild on the board. Drysdale lost control of the puck at the Wild blue line causing a rush down ice to the Flyers end. Drysdale raced back just in time to get hit with a shot by Marcus Johansson deflecting it past Flyers netminder Carter Hart.

A helping hand

Just before this collection of errors took place a Wild player caught the puck in a closed hand and threw it to a teammate to start the rush that resulted in the goal. Tortorella argued the case. The on ice officials seemed to momentarily discuss it but the goal stood. The replay clearly showed the infraction. The goal should not have been allowed.

Just under three minutes later the Flyers tied the game at one. Cam York sent a bank pass up to Travis Konecny who skated the puck into the Minnesota end on a 2 on 1 rush with Joel Farabee. Konecny skated up the left side threading the pass cross ice to Farabee who one-handed it past Marc-Andre Fleury.

Third Period

Less than two minutes into the 3rd period former Flyer Ryan Hartman blew a one timer past Carter Hart short side from the left face-off dot. Hart got his skate to the post but the puck deflected off his skate blade up and into the net.

Three minutes later it was Ryan Hartman passing the puck to Jake Middleton who sent it over to the right face-off circle. Matt Boldy was waiting there to blow another one timer past Carter Hart. Same shot different dot. The Wild were suddenly up 3-1 less than five minutes into the 3rd period.

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Good for the goose

Tyson Foerster scored a goal that by this point was starting to look very familiar. Scott Laughton passed the puck to Foerster in the circle and he blew a one timer past Marc-Andre Fleury. This brought the Flyers to within one goal with ten and a half minutes left in regulation.

On a delayed penalty call Owen Tippett tied the game up at 10:56 of the 3rd period. Drysdale to Konecny, T.K. to Tippett who ripped a wrist shot past Fleury far side. From this point on both teams were playing hungry looking for the go-ahead goal. The pace was fast and the energy high for the rest of the period. Neither team was able to end the contest in regulation.

O.T.

Cam Atkinson had a rush up the left hand side he powered passed Mats Zuccarello forcing his way to the front of the net and leaving Zuccarello no other choice but to pull him down. Minnesota was called for the tripping penalty giving the Flyers a 4 on 3 advantage for two minutes.

On the power-play Owen Tippett fed a pass to Egor Zamula who fired the puck from the high slot. Joel Farabee was stationed directly in front of the Minnesota net just outside of the blue paint. Zamula fired the shot to the left of Farabee about waist high. Farabee deflected the puck down with the underside of the blade of his stick and past Fleury to win the game. The play went exactly the way Farabee had been practicing it over and over again at the morning skate last Monday.

Next Up: Saturday night, Flyers in Winnipeg to face the Jets 7PM