The Philadelphia Flyers (6-8-2) are effectively streaking. Technically, they are not on a winning streak, but a three-game points streak is critical for confidence.
“We’re trying to put layers on our game, trying to be more consistent, [and] trying to be on our toes. Our third man is showing up more where we can pinch. We’re a lot more aggressive that way, and we get a team that’s back-to-back. [We] wanted to try to take advantage of that. All year long, you play eighty-two of them; coaches are always looking to try to correct things and get better at things, but we have found a little stability as we’ve gone the past week or so.” – John Tortorella; 11/11/2024
Tonight, the Flyers settled another contest in a shootout. Each game in the ongoing point streak required a shootout to obtain a final result. Through 16 games this season, Philadelphia forced a shootout in 25% of their matchups. They are 3-1 in the ‘skills competition.’
Matvei Michkov (1G, 1A) returned with a vengeance. For those who thought that a rookie watching the game from the press box could not help, John Tortorella proved his process was the correct action. His conversion in the shootout stood as the game-winner.
“I wasn’t worried about how he [Michkov] was going to respond. I wasn’t worried about that at all. He competes.” – John Tortorella; 11/11/2024
The San Jose Sharks, a team in a similar place as the Flyers in the league standings before the opening faceoff, kept the game tight.
First Period
Erik Johnson put Philadelphia out to a fast start. Ryan Poehling won a puck battle in the defensive zone and looked to advance the puck to Johnson, but Alex Wennberg deflected the pass with an active stick. However, Anthony Richard recovered the puck in stride and, on a two-on-one, executed the pass to Johnson, who scored on a wrist shot, 1-0, with 18:20 remaining in the first period.
Moments later, Johnson and Givani Smith tangled. Suddenly, Johnson seemed like a shoo-in for a ‘Gordie Howe Hat Trick.’ The Sharks started flat, and Smith fought Johnson, who scored, in hopes of juicing the bench.
Emil Andrae helped the Flyers keep the pressure on San Jose in the opening period. He began a sequence from the neutral zone, catching and flipping the puck on the attack for Sean Couturier, Owen Tippett, and Travis Konecny to pressure Vítek Vaněček. Vaněček made the saves, and at the opposite end, Travis Sanheim effectively defended Fabian Zetterlund in close on Sam Ersson.
Joel Farabee served a bench minor for too many men on the ice. Poehling had a shorthanded chance on Vaněček. Ersson stopped Mikael Granlund, too. Rasmus Ristolainen and Nick Seeler cleared the defensive zone to kill the penalty. Philadelphia finished 3/3 (100%) on the penalty kill.
Ty Dellandrea served a minor penalty for holding. On the first powerplay of the night, the Flyers did not manage a shot on goal.
Granlund served a minor penalty for holding. Andrae saw Michkov was wide open, and in a display of solid passing on the powerplay cycle, Michkov tapped the pass directly to Konecny for a one-timer, 2-0, with 4:04 remaining in the first period. The Flyers finished 1/3 (33.3%) on the powerplay.
Second Period
Andrae continued to impress. He put the puck on the tape for Konecny to score, but the chance did not go. Konecny could have scored four goals in regulation, but the puck did not bounce in his favor on every golden opportunity.
Egor Zamula forced a takeaway on Will Smith, then passed to Poehling. Poehling darted a pass to Michkov, streaking onto the attack to score on a breakaway, 3-0, with 14:51 remaining in the second period. It was his first even-strength goal since October 26th versus the Minnesota Wild.
Seeler clashed with Barclay Goodrow. Goodrow tried to inspire a spark from the Sharks bench like Smith earlier, and this time it worked. The point of hockey fights, partially, is to induce momentum. Philadelphia scored the first three goals. How would San Jose respond?
William Eklund entered the attack, getting ahead of Johnson enough to center the puck to Jack Thompson, who had a step on Farabee. The puck bounced off the skate of Thompson and into the net, 3-1, with 4:31 remaining in the second period. Tortorella did not challenge. The evidence could have been inconclusive to warrant a challenge, and if so, losing the decision would have put the Flyers on the penalty kill for delaying the game.
“Unraveled in two or three minutes, we have a lesson to learn there but found a way to win. Other than that, we played a good third period. Get unlucky at the end. I liked our game, other than three or four minutes, we do some dumb stuff.” – John Tortorella; 11/11/2024
Eklund was in on another scoring play off of a faceoff. The puck went to Zetterlund on the draw, who changed places with Eklund, handing the puck off on a quick pass. Eklund went below the goal line, then turned a pass to Granlund for a wrist shot sniping above Ersson, 3-2, with 1:27 remaining in the second period.
Third Period
With momentum after the fight and the two goals, the Sharks attacked to begin the third period. Eklund, Wennberg, and Zetterlund circled the defensive zone for Philadelphia, but Ristolainen tied up at the crease to prevent a high-danger chance on Ersson.
At the opposite end, Vaněček scrambled to keep the puck out of the net. Konecny continued to be a thorn in his side.
Goodrow, who clashed with Seeler to spark San Jose, tied the game, 3-3, with 2:24 remaining in the third period. Henry Thrun had a pass tipped through the slot, jostling the timing of the defense. Tippett almost denied the pass, but Goodrow tracked the puck and snapped it past Ersson.
Overtime
Michkov served a minor for roughing at the end of regulation. He jabbed Macklin Celebrini in the face, a poorly timed retaliation. The Sharks opened overtime on the powerplay, and Ersson stopped every shot.
“The penalty kill. It’s not just Ers [Ersson]. Catesy [Cates] did a great job. The [defense] did a great job. Ers, when it comes to the shootout, too, he seems so confident. [It’s] a big reason why we win.” – John Tortorella; 11/11/2024
Vaněček answered those efforts, denying Couturier. Bobby Brink had a rough night but nearly redeemed his efforts on a pass to Andrae. However, the finish sailed high and wide.
Shootout
Michkov and Konecny were the only two skaters to score in the shootout. The Flyers won at home, 4-3.
