Carter Hart’s 40 Saves Leads Flyers To Win vs Ducks

The Philadelphia Flyers started a two-game homestand by playing host to the Anaheim Ducks.

After suffering a third-straight loss in their game against the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday, the Philadelphia Flyers hoped to avoid a fourth as they came back to the Wells Fargo Center to take on the Anaheim Ducks. This contest marked the first of two meetings between the clubs, as is customary when Eastern and Western conference teams face-off, and the Flyers were hoping to earn their third straight win against Anaheim dating back to last year. Carter Hart received the start from Alain Vigneault and opposed John Gibson on the opposite end of the ice. Travis Konecny also made his return to the lineup following a three-game absence due to a concussion in what was some much needed good news for the Orange and Black.

Both Hart and Gibson were tested as the Flyers and Ducks created a substantial amount of offense throughout the first. The two sides combined for 28 shots-on-goal during the 20-minute frame with the Ducks generating a majority of that total, leading the Flyers 16-12 in that category. Luckily, and at the same time not-so-luck(ily), each talented goaltender stood tall to keep the game scoreless following a single period of play.

Gibson’s shutout bid ended shortly after the second period started as Claude Giroux scored his 11th goal of the year to put the Flyers up 1-0. Konecny made a beautiful pass to set up G in front of the net, picking up right where he left off by getting himself on the scoresheet. David Kase quickly extended Philadelphia’s lead, deflecting a Travis Sanheim shot passed Gibson to put his side up 2-0. This was Kase’s first NHL goal and point, doing so while playing against his brother, Ondrej, and with his parents in attendance. Anaheim did eventually get one back, scoring a power-play goal to cut the deficit back to one heading into the third.

After killing a crucial penalty in the early stages of the stanza, Jakub Voracek gave the Flyers another two-goal lead with a deceptive wrist shot for his seventh tally on the year. The Czech winger created a 2-on-1 rush with Morgan Frost and, surprisingly, opted to shoot the puck instead of dishing it to his rookie teammate, which turned out to be the correct decision. Hart would go on to slam the door shut as the period dwindled, leading Philly to a 4-1 victory over the Ducks thanks to an empty netter from Sean Couturier.

While the Flyers were more active offensively with TK back in the lineup, they undoubtedly could’ve played a better all-around game. Committing five penalties and allowing a team to put 41 shots on your goaltender isn’t the best recipe for success. I get that this team is still pretty beat up at the moment, but again, they have to put on a better defensive performance next time as one can’t over-rely on their netminder to make save after save. Thankfully, Hart was a stone wall tonight, setting a season-high with 40 saves in the game.

The Flyers are now 18-11-5 on the season! Next game is Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres.