The Philadelphia Flyers finished their preseason games with a 5-4 win over the New Jersey Devils. While the Devils are in the Czech Republic to take on the Buffalo Sabres Friday afternoon in the global series, the Devils’ AHL roster put up a fight. The Flyers had a few veterans on their roster such as Erik Johnson, Garnet Hathaway, Noah Cates, and Ivan Fedotov. However, most of Philadlephia’s roster for their final preseason game was filled with mostly AHL players.
Flyers vs Devils recap
In the first frame, Sawyer Boulton got into a scrum with Samuel Laberge of the Devils. Boulton was sent to the box. Olle Lycksell started off the scoring by setting himself up by the net and rebounding the puck to give the Flyers an early 1-0 lead in the game. About halfway through the first, Ryan Schmelzer tallied the score at one apiece as the battle continued.
The second frame was the Boulton show. There was no doubt that Boulton was positioning himself as the team’s enforcer, which helped draw up momentum. Despite all the penalties, the Devils couldn’t score on any of their power plays in the second frame, which is a testament to the Flyers’ penalty kill. However, J.R. Avon did score on a Flyers power play only 88 seconds into the period, giving the team a one-goal lead yet again. While the period was chippy, the action in the final two minutes was cat and mouse. The Devils’ Kevin Labanc scored, followed by an Emil Andraw goal not even 20 seconds later. The Flyers escaped the period with a 3-2 lead.
The final frame consisted of four penalties, three of which were converted into goals. The Flyers scored two power-play goals, with Anthony Richard and Noah Cates scoring. Labanc’s three-goal night for NJ consisted of a power play and an even-strength goal. Despite New Jersey’s push at the end, Philadelphia came out victorious.
The Flyers don’t play again until next Friday against the Vancouver Canucks, as the puck drop is at 10 p.m. No doubt cuts will be made over the next few days; however, players like Lycksell and Emil Andrae are pleased with their case of why they should make the opening night roster after their stellar performance in this year’s training camp.
Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
