The Philadelphia Flyers (23-22-6) keep clean of the New Jersey Devils (28-18-6) for the second time this season. Before their rematch on Wednesday at the Prudential Center, the Flyers won at the Wells Fargo Center, 4-2.
Sean Couturier (illness) was a late scratch. Egor Zamula (upper body) and Ryan Poehling (upper body) remained out of the lineup. Scott Laughton returned to help lead Philadelphia to a victory.
“He [Laughton] played well. Utility; I use him all over the place.” – John Tortorella; 1/27/2025
John Tortorella said, before the game, he didn’t believe the Flyers developed enough scoring chances against the New York Islanders. In short, that game was a clunker. Tortorella didn’t mince words when he said he thought ‘both teams sucked, quite honestly.’ But, versus the Devils, Philadelphia did develop scoring chances.
There wasn’t added pressure after the losses in New York. The Flyers just needed to stay in the game. Lately, that means doing more than scoring the first goal. Philadelphia did that in each of their losses to the Rangers and Islanders. Last night, doubling the goal totals in the first period helped secure a win.
In his return, Laughton and Travis Konecny supported the efforts of Sam Ersson in the crease.
First Period
Shots on Goal: 9-8, Flyers
Score: 2-0, Flyers
Tyson Foerster was synonymous with the forecheck. He and Cam York got the puck deep in the offensive zone, but Jack Hughes didn’t allow Bobby Brink to put a shot on goal. Jesper Bratt dumped the puck into the forecheck for the Devils, and Hughes jumped on the puck, using Stefan Noesen to cycle to the point for Dougie Hamilton. Ersson made his first save on Hamilton.
Konecny located Owen Tippett with a pass. He caught Tippett in the neutral zone, striding onto the attack. Jake Allen made his first save on Tippett.
Rasmus Ristolainen served a double minor for high-sticking. Hamilton had a good shooting chance on Ersson, who made the save. Laughton returned the favor, sniffing out a play design starting with a bank pass behind the net from Allen to Luke Hughes. Allen made a point-blank save on Laughton.
Garnet Hathaway created a takeaway on the penalty kill, creating offense. Allen denied Hathaway, who went five-hole. The Flyers finished 3/3 (100%) on the penalty kill, beginning with the successful draining of a double minor called against Ristolainen.
“Just like a powerplay, trying to get momentum early in the game, for something like that to happen against a pretty good powerplay, and the way we killed it, I thought we were really good. It wasn’t like Ers [Ersson] was making save after save. I thought we killed it very well. It certainly helped us to start the game.” – John Tortorella; 1/27/2025
Curtis Lazar served a minor penalty for tripping. Konecny took the puck from the faceoff circle, then began the cycle from Ristolainen to Brink. Brink rocketed a shot past Jake Allen, 1-0, with 8:56 remaining in the first period. The Flyers finished 1/2 (50%) on the powerplay.
Joel Farabee entered the offensive zone, then dished to Laughton. Laughton took a shot on goal, creating a rebound for Farabee. Farabee scored on the rebound, 2-0, with 8:28 remaining in the first period. In 0:28, Brink and Farabee created a two-goal lead.
Laughton drove the play on the Farabee goal, but his hard work in the first period was lively in the defensive zone. On the backcheck, Laughton disrupted what could’ve been a couple of quality shots on goal. Laughton and Foerster helped preserve a two-goal lead as Ersson made the saves to keep New Jersey off the scoreboard.
Second Period
Shots on Goal: 23-20, Devils
Score: 3-1, Flyers
Hathaway entered deep into the offensive zone. He cycled the puck to Ristolainen to York. York took a shot on goal, deflected by Hathaway, 3-0, with 17:11 remaining in the second period. Philadelphia ran three consecutive goals on Allen for the second time this season.
Nick Seeler laid an open-ice hit into Nathan Bastian. Hamilton stood up for Bastian, who went to the locker room. Seeler served a minor penalty for roughing, and Hamilton served a minor penalty for cross-checking. The hit went high, and it isn’t clear if Bastian caught the brunt of a shoulder or elbow, but if you didn’t like the hit Poehling took from Maxim Tsyplakov, you shouldn’t be a fan of this one. While Seeler wasn’t penalized for the hit, he could receive a fine from the NHL.
“It’s a hit. I hope the guy [Bastian] isn’t hurt that bad. I just think sometimes players aren’t just ready to be hit. It’s so prevalent in our game because the game has changed into a no-hitter, but then all of a sudden, there’s some hits, and no one’s ready to take them. I’m not criticizing. I hope he’s okay, but it’s just a hockey hit.” – John Tortorella; 1/27/2025
Ersson stood tall during four-on-four, denying Bratt a couple of times. Dawson Mercer created a stellar scoring chance, but Ersson remained dialed in. The Devils controlled most of the four-on-four even-strength but couldn’t beat Ersson.
Back to five-on-five, Ersson denied Hughes on a two-on-one rush. Hughes elected to shoot, but Ersson made the save. Then, the Flyers peppered Allen with scoring chances. To give credit where it’s due, Allen turned away credible scoring chances by Konecny, Foerster, Travis Sanheim, Noah Cates, and Jamie Drysdale. The barrage of shots raised the energy inside of the Wells Fargo Center.
Hamilton took a shot on Ersson that deflected off his glove and the post. Sanheim swiped the puck away, but it deflected off Ersson and back into the net, 3-1, with 1:13 remaining in the second period. Sanheim made the right play, but the execution was unfortunate.
Third Period
Shots on Goal: 33-26, Devils
Score: 4-2, Flyers
Morgan Frost generated a rush with Hathaway, dishing the puck for the shot on goal, but Allen made the save. Soon after, Drysdale and Brink tried the same play on a two-on-one rush, but Allen read the set-up.
New Jersey pulled Allen for the extra attacker. The Devils contained possession in the offensive zone after a failed clear by Laughton. Hughes and Bratt passed the puck along the blue line to Timo Meier for the slapshot goal, 3-2, with 1:22 remaining in regulation.
Again, New Jersey pulled Allen for the extra attacker. Konecny and Laughton forced a takeaway. Laughton scored the empty-net goal, 4-2, with 0:15 remaining in regulation.
Up Next
Next, the Philadelphia Flyers will visit the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center tomorrow at 7:00pm/ET.
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