A lot was thrown around at the Wells Fargo Center last night. Ivan Provorov threw his weight around center ice. The Philadelphia Flyers organization celebrated a throwback 80’s night. Travis Konecny and James van Riemsdyk threw points into the stat book. Most importantly, the Flyers overthrew the Los Angeles Kings, 4-1.
In the opening frame, the Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings played twenty minutes of clean hockey. That period set the tone for the rest of the game as the Flyers displayed the right kind of energy to take an early lead. Travis Konecny scored an even-strength goal off an assist from James van Riemsdyk. Brian Elliott displayed tremendous puck control, limiting any scoring chances for the Kings. Closing the first period, Philadelphia led 1-0.
The Philadelphia Flyers showed a vulgar display of powerplay in the second period. First, another even-strength goal by Travis Konecny off another assist by James van Riemsdyk. Now up, 2-0, the Flyers were able to shut down the Los Angeles Kings powerplay. Joel Farabee scored a powerplay goal off an assist from Matt Niskanen. On special teams, Philadelphia was perfect.
Brian Elliott was tested early in the final period. He made a brilliant save against former Philadelphia Flyer, Jeff Carter, on a breakaway. Minutes later, Dustin Brown got the Los Angeles Kings on the scoreboard. Redemption was on the way for Elliott, who was performing well enough to blank the Kings up to that point. The final nail in the coffin from the Flyers was another powerplay goal, this time by James van Riemsdyk.
Perfect Special Teams
This was a complete performance in all aspects of hockey from the Philadelphia Flyers. They made up for their mistakes in going 100% on the penalty kill. To follow that up, they took advantage of the Los Angeles Kings’ mistakes, going 100% on the powerplay. Joel Farabee continuing to score since returning to the lineup is wonderful to see! A dominant home win is exactly what the doctor ordered after a loss to the Montreal Canadiens earlier this week.
JvR Lives
What may surprise you is that James van Riemsdyk is fifth in scoring on the Philadelphia Flyers. Last night tied van Riemsdyk’s season-high for points scored in a game. Before this, the last time “JvR” scored three points in a game this season was against the Columbus Blue Jackets. You have to go back to the ninth game this season to find that statistic. You love to see a veteran player contribute the way van Riemsdyk did against the Los Angeles Kings.
Moose Tracks
He is ageless. After reflecting on a piece I wrote before this season, Brian Elliott was the right choice to bring in as the insurance policy to Carter Hart. While Hart will be out two-to-three weeks with an abdominal injury, Elliott showed that he is capable to hold down the fort for the Philadelphia Flyers. He played a huge role in defeating the St. Louis Blues in overtime. The luxury of having “Moose” as a backup on this roster is that he can be a big help in mentoring young goaltenders who are recalled, not just Hart.
Next, the Philadelphia Flyers are home at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to host the Pittsburgh Penguins. This game takes place on Tuesday, January 21st at 7:30 pm. Be sure to give a follow for more Flyers coverage at EricReesePSN and PhiladelphiaSN on Twitter!
