Good Offensive Showing Leads Philadelphia Flyers to Win vs Buffalo

The Philadelphia Flyers hosted the Buffalo Sabres at the Wells Fargo Center hoping to spark a two game winning streak.

After defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins in their Stadium Series matchup on Saturday, the Philadelphia Flyers played host to the Buffalo Sabres looking for their 30th win on the season.

Brian Elliott received the start from Interim Head Coach Scott Gordon and opposed Carter Hutton. Hutton had a 16-17-4 record coming in, with a 2.81 Goals-Against Average, and a .910 save percentage. The veteran net-minder had a rough outing in his last contest, making it all too important for the Flyers to jump on him early and often offensively to help secure the victory.

Philadelphia received an early power-play opportunity after a good opening shift from their first line, but couldn’t capitalize on the chance as they struggled to get set in their own zone. Oskar Lindblom would make-up for the mistake, scoring his 12th goal of the year seconds after the power-play expired to give the Flyers a 1-0 lead. Nolan Patrick made a nice play to set-up Lindblom in front, assisting on the goal alongside Travis Konecny.

The Flyers went on to score again on a goal from Jakub Voracek but Jack Eichel responded with a tally of his own on the power-play to make it a 2-1 game after one period. A failed clear attempt is what really did the Orange and Black in while on the kill, allowing Eichel to snipe the puck passed Elliott on a two-on-one break.

A too many men penalty from Philadelphia put them on the penalty kill just minutes into the second. Solid defensive work from Corban Knight and Lindblom helped kill it off, keeping the score at 2-1. The Flyers offense kept applying pressure in Buffalo’s zone through the period, eventually leading to James van Riemsdyk’s 17th goal of the season. JvR did what he does best, deflecting a point shot from Robert Hagg right by a screened Hutton to regain a two goal lead for Philly. Buffalo did respond before period’s end, scoring on another two-on-one opportunity to cut the Flyer lead back in half through two.

Travis Sanheim began the third stanza potting his sixth goal on the 2018-19 campaign, restoring the two-goal Philadelphia lead to put them up, 4-2. Sean Couturier found the young defenseman in the slot for the chance, continuing his great play as of late. Team Captain Claude Giroux eventually scored an empty netter late in the period, aiding the Flyers to a 5-2 victory.

There are a lot of positives to take from this post trade deadline contest. Ryan Hartman showcased his physical skillset, while players like Couturier and Giroux stepped up offensively as well. Elliott’s performance between the pipes shouldn’t be lost, either, saving 34 of the 36 shots he saw. This was a very good showing from Philadelphia, disregarding special teams, and plays huge in keeping their slim playoff hopes alive.

The Flyers are now 30-26-7. Next game is Thursday against a Metropolitan Division rival in the Columbus Blue Jackets.