The Philadelphia Flyers played their first-ever game in Utah against the Hockey Club. Nicolas Deslauriers entered the lineup for the first time since being placed on the injured reserve back on Nov 9. It’s time for the Flyers to start scoring some goals. They were riding a three-game shutout streak into tonight’s game. They’d fall to the Hockey Club 3-2 in overtime with just a second left on the clock. The Flyers losing streak continues and fall to 23-25-7 on the season.
Rodrigo Abols gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead at the 2:02 mark of the first period. It’s his first in the NHL. The Flyers created a turnover in the offensive zone and Abols put a snap shot through the legs of Hockey Club’s goaltender Karel Vejmelka. Travis Sanheim collected the lonely assist.
Deslauriers dropped the gloves with Liam O’Brien at the 13:42 mark of the first period in a big, heavy weight fight. Both played landed big punches but Deslauriers got the best of him.
Mikhail Sergachev tied the game up at one at the 3:32 mark of the second period. Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson made the initial save on Barrett Hayton but allowed a rebound. Dylan Guenther collects the puck, passes it to Sergachev who put a slap shot stick side on Ersson. Guenther and Hayton collected assists.
Tyson Foerster gave the Flyers a 2-1 lead at the 4:29 mark of the second period. Sean Couturier passed the puck to him in front and he tipped it past Vejmelka. Couturier and Bobby Brink tallied assists.
The Hockey Club got the game’s first power play at the 9:19 mark of the second period as Abols was called for delay of game (puck over glass). The Flyers did a nice job of stealing and clearing the puck and didn’t allow the Hockey Club to get set up in the zone. They only registered one shot on net.
Nick Seeler got called for holding at the 12:26 mark of the second period which gave the Hockey Club their second power play. The Flyers made it hard for them to set up and didn’t register any shots on net.
Couturier was called for tripping at the 19:38 mark of the second period which gave the Hockey Club their third power play. Ersson had to make a big save on Hayton but the Flyers did a great job clearing the puck again.
Guenther tied the game up at two at the 8:40 mark of the third period. Hayton set up him with a touch pass and Guenther put a snap shot under the blocker of Ersson. Hayton and Sergachev were given assists.
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The Flyers got their first power play at the 13:29 mark of the third period as O’Brien was called for tripping. They did a nice job setting up in the zone but the Hockey Club did a better job blocking shots.
The game would then go to over time as no team could score another goal. Both teams had chances off the rush, but Utah would win it with just a second remaining in the overtime period. Guenther with a burst of speed entered the Flyers zone and put a snap shot past the blocker of Ersson. Sergachev and Clayton Keller collected assists.
The Flyers went 0 for 1 on the power play but killed off all three Hockey Club man advantages.
Ersson kept the Flyers in the game all night long and stood on his head. He saved 39 of 42 shots, giving him a .929 save percentage.
Goal Summary
1st Period:
Abols (1) Assists: Sanheim (19)
2nd Period:
Sergachev (10) Assists: Guenther (19), Hayton (16)
Foerster (14) Assists: Couturier (17), Brink (16)
3rd Period:
Guenther (17) Assists: Hayton (17), Sergachev
Overtime:
Guenther (18) Assists: Sergachev (24), Keller (39)
Flyers Next Game
Flyers next game is Thursday, Feb 6. in Philadelphia against the Washington Capitals.
