Flyers Bring Defiant Effort to 5-2 Win Against Sabers – Hockey Writers – NHL News

Saturday night at the Wells Fargo Center the Philadelphia Flyers started with a tribute to the past. The game was Erik Johnson's 1,000th in the NHL, receiving the outstanding silver stick of 2006 No. 1 and the 2022 Stanley Cup champion with the Colorado Avalanche.

But the celebration didn't stop when the puck dropped. After Thursday's undeserved win against the Ottawa Senators, the Flyers are back to the perfect form they've shown for most of the past three games. They were well rewarded for their efforts, scoring two goals in the first and second half. Although Ivan Fedotov's bid for his first NHL shutout was ruined midway through the third, it didn't take much away from the team's high-profile performance. The 5-2 win brings the Flyers to 4-0-1 in their last five games.

Recap of the game

It was a slow start on Saturday night as neither team produced much in the first 10 minutes, although the Flyers had the power play. Just when the Sabers appeared to be turning the ice in their favor, Zach Benson took a pass-rushing penalty on Rasmus Ristolainen in the Flyers' zone. Philadelphia's second unit, which had better chances than the first man, took the next step on its second chance. Tyson Foerster, one of the few Flyers to score in a game Thursday, had his first goal since Oct. 29, hitting a seven-game hitting streak.

All the while, the Flyers' top line of Owen Tippett, Sean Couturier, and Travis Konecny ​​controlled the puck and created chances, with Travis Sanheim on the receiving end of a few. After a big save by Devon Levi and a couple of misses, Sanheim blasted a one-run home run from the right circle for his second strikeout in as many games.

A lucky break put the Flyers up 3-0 early in the second half when Egor Zamula's point shot bounced high in the air from Benson and floated into the Sabers net, which Levi couldn't pick up until press time. Any hopes of the Sabers getting back into the game were dashed by strong work from Fedotov and two penalties on Rasmus Dahlin during Buffalo's power play. The second set up a 4-on-4 sequence where Matvei Michkov and Travis Konecny ​​held a 2-on-0 to complete to reduce any doubts.

The Sabers broke the shutout on their next power play. Rather than take the penalty, Dahlin turned the light on the boy with a burst from the area. Otherwise the Flyers played a solid season defensively, holding Buffalo to just six shots, a season-low. Ryan McLeod scored another goal when Fedotov lost sight of the puck in his crease, but the result was never in doubt. Konecny ​​restored the three-goal lead with an empty netter in the closing seconds.

The win brings the Flyers over .500 for the first time since the second game of the season. They will have ample opportunity to continue their winning streak by continuing their five-game streak, which began on Saturday. The next two challenges will be tough, however, as the Flyers host the Colorado Avalanche on Monday and the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday two weeks after Carolina won the puck with a 6-4 win over the Flyers in Raleigh. Buffalo will have time to lick their wounds with a three-day break before they begin their West Coast tour.