The Flyers were coming off three straight losses. It was the second time this season that they lost three in a row without getting a point. The Flyers came out and gave a great effort. For their effort, they stopped a Ducks team from coming in and stealing two points.
Game Recap: First Period
In the first period, the Flyers jumped out to a quick start for the first couple of minutes. This was short-lived as the Ducks had started to dictate the pace of the play. The period had a fight and no goals. The Ducks outshot the Flyers 16 to 12. In the first, Carter Hart made some really good saves. He was square to the puck, giving up limited rebounds. There was a feeling that he was on his game.
Second Period
In the second period, the Flyers came alive. It shouldn’t be surprising as they seem to dominate the second period all season long. The line of Sean Couturier, Travis Konecny and Claude Giroux struck first. Following a powerplay, they put on a passing clinic that ended in the Captain’s eleventh goal of the season.
The Flyers then followed that up when Morgan Frost and Travis Sanheim assisted on David Kase’s first goal of his NHL career. Kase’s first is a game-winning goal against his brother’s team. Oh, and his parents were in the building. Kase stated the following about his goal:
“It was a big moment for me. First goal in NHL and we win tonight and it was against my brother was so special to and yeah. I feel like so happy right now and then but the first goal.”
Jakub Voracek was asked about his fellow Czech getting his first goal:
“It’d be nice to celebrate with him. You know I went to get the puck and he was already going to the bench. I was high fiving with the referees there…”
Anaheim would get one back after Giroux was sent off for tripping. Rickard Rakell scored his tenth of the year when he deflected a Hampus Lindholm shot from the point. The period ended with the Flyers up 2-1. The Flyers had the shots on goal even in the period at 12 apiece. Anaheim held the shot advantage 28-24.
Third Period:
The third period didn’t start off too well as Matt Niskanen took a really dumb boarding penalty. Niskanen hit Kase’s brother Ondrej into the boards. The Flyers were successful in killing off the penalty. Jakub Voracek then jumped on an errant pass and buried his seventh of the year. At about the 11:30 mark, Ryan Getzlaf walked in and with a ceiling scraper, blasted a slap shot that Hart saved. The game then continued in a back and forth struggle that ended with Couturier scoring an empty-net goal. Giroux and Ivan Provorov assisted on Coot’s ninth of the season.
Observations:
Hart was simply amazing once again. On the eve of the one year anniversary of his call up, Hart put in a masterpiece. If not for a double deflection on the power play, Anaheim would have been shut out. Hart saved 40 out of 41 shots on goal for a .975 save percentage. 40 saves sets a season-high. Hart made 40 or more saves four times last season. He holds a career record of 11-1 when he faces 38 shots or more.
Morgan Frost was really good and got another assist to bring his point total to six on the season. Alain Vigneault stated that he felt “Frost played one of his best two-way games of the season.” The line of Frost, Kase, and Voracek was really good together and accounted for two goals.
The Flyers played a sloppy game committing seven penalties and was outshot 41-31. The tree stars of the game were Giroux, Kase, and Hart. Next up, the Flyers host the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday.
Mandatory Credit – © Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
