The Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Boston Bruins via shootout at TD Garden on Monday evening, 3-2 (1-0). The Flyers improved to 2-3-0 on the preseason. Both wins have come via shootout.
Noah Cates and Rodrigo Abols scored in regulation for the Flyers. Sean Kuraly and Morgan Geekie answered for Boston. Bobby Brink scored the shootout winner.
The scoreless first period was a low-event frame (even strength shots were tied at 3-3, Boston had two additional shots during the period's lone power play). The best scoring chance came on a wraparound attempt by Boston's David Pastrnak.
In the second period, the Flyers turned their sixth shot of the game into a 1-0 lead. The forecheck got the sequence started. Noah Cates found open space to receive a pass and fired a shot past Jeremy Swayman. The assists went to Tyson Foerster and Bobby Brink at 13:38.
The Flyers were unable to capitalize on their first power play of the game. Sean Kuraly chipped a Pastrnak feed upstairs at 16:46 to tie the game at 1-1. The secondary assist went to Tanner Jeannot.
The Flyers took a 2-1 lead to the second intermission. Skating 1-on-2 into the right circle, Rodrigo Abols fired a perfectly placed wrist shot from the dot to the glove side over the pad and under the blocker. The puck went off the post and into the net at 19:36. Alexis Gendron earned the lone assist. Abols' third goal of the preseason was another step toward building a case for an opening night NHL roster spot.
A neutral zone turnover proved costly to the Flyers as Boston tied the game at 11:21 of the third period. The sequence started with Nikita Grebenkin bumping into Hunter McDonald. On a 2-on-1 rush, Morgan Geekie fired a shot off of Dan Vladar's left shoulder. The puck popped into the net. The lone assist went to Elias Lindholm.
With 1:57 left in overtime, Cates drew a Geekie holding penalty. The Flyers, with four young players on the ice, couldn't get a game-winning goal. The game moved to a shootout finale.
The lone goal of the shootout came in the top of the first round. Bobby Brink went upstairs to beat Swayman.
Vladar stopped 13 of 15 shots though 65 minutes. He went 3-for-3 in the shootout. Swayman made 20 saves on 22 shots and went 2-for-3 in the shootout.
The Flyers went 0-for-4 on the power play. They were 2-for-2 on the penalty kill.
FLYERS STARTING LINEUP
Tyson Foerster – Noah Cates – Bobby Brink
Nikita Grebenkin – Jett Luchanko – Garnet Hathaway
Denver Barkey – Jacob Gaucher – Anthony Richard
Nicolas Deslauriers – Rodrigo Abols – Alexis Gendron
Adam Ginning – Noah Juulsen
Hunter McDonald – Emil Andrae
Dennis Gilbert – Egor Zamula
Dan Vladar
[Aleksei Kolosov]
1. Foerster in force.
Third-year NHL winger Tyson Foerster played his first preseason game on Monday. His line with Noah Cates and Bobby Brink forechecked very well right off the bat in the first period. In the second period, he fed Cates for the game's first goal.
2. Blueline roster competition.
Meanwhile, Monday's game roster featured six Flyers defensemen who are still vying for an opening night roster spot. The pairing of Adam Ginning and Noah Juulsen played a solid game. Emil Andrae had some good moments.
3. Vladar returns to Boston.
New Flyers goaltender Vladar went the distance in net. He had little chance of stopping the first Boston goal. He got most -- but not all -- of the puck on the second. In the shootout, Vladar stayed patient and made the shooters commit first.
4. Turning up the Jett.
Jett Luchanko dressed in his fourth straight preseason game. In the first period, he skated very well as he covered a lot of territory in the defensive zone. He also attacked through the middle and set up a Grebenkin scoring chance.The 19-year-old was less noticeable later in the game but made some crisp passes during the overtime power play.
5. Grebenkin gets another game.
Russian winger Grebenkin had a couple of scoring chances in the game. Overall, he skated 17:41 and had three shots on goal.
