POSTGAME 5: Flyers Down Columbus, 5-3

The Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets, 5-3, at the Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday evening. Two goals apiece by Travis Konecny (13th and 14th of the season) and Owen Tippett (9th and 10th) paced Philly offensively. Morgan Frost (6th) also scored for Philly.

The Flyers are now 8-0-1 in games they have led at the second intermission.
Konecny's shorthanded goal was the lone tally of a strong first period for the Flyers. In the middle frame, goals by Kirill Marchenko (3rd) and Kent Johnson (8th) were answered by Frost and Tippett goals that sent Philly to the second intermission leading 3-2.
Early in the third period, Konency opened a 4-2 edge for the Flyers. The Blue Jackets got back within 4-3 on an Andrew Peeke goal (2nd). Tippett restored the two-goal margin with an empty net goal.
Carter Hart stopped 30 of 33 shots to earn the win. Daniel Tarasov took the loss despite 34 saves on 38 shots.
The Flyers went 0-for-1 on the power play. The Blue Jackets were 0-for-1.
FLYERS STARTING LINEUP
86 Joel Farabee - 49 Noah Cates -11 Travis Konecny
25 James van Riemsdyk - 48 Morgan Frost - 74 Owen Tippett
13 Kevin Hayes - 21 Scott Laughton - 17 Zack MacEwen
44 Nicolas Deslauriers - 38 Patrick Brown - 57 Wade Allison
9 Ivan Provorov - 55 Rasmus Ristolainen
6 Travis Sanheim - 45 Cam York
24 Nick Seeler - 77 Tony DeAngelo
79 Carter Hart
[32 Felix Sandström]
TURNING POINT
The two Konecny goals -- the latter of which became the game winner-- were both spectacular and vital to the win. However, the turning point was the Frost and Tippett goals on back-to-back shots that turned a 2-1 deficit into a lead. The Flyers played from ahead the rest of the game.
MELTZER'S TAKE
1) The Flyers generated four of the game's first shots on goal through 4:12 of the first period, and seven of the first 10 shots. Philly had each of the first three bonafide scoring chances of the game through the first 10 minutes,
Johnny Gaudreau created the first couple chances for Columbus. At 12:58, Ristolainen was called for hooking Gaudreau on a slick rush up the ice. The Blue Jackets got the game's first power play.
During the kill, Laughton moved the puck ahead and Konency weaved up the ice. Cutting across the right circle, Konecny rifled a shot past Tarasov to make it 1-0 Flyers. Philly has scored shorthanded goals in back-to-back games. Laughton earned the lone assist at 13:48.
The Flyers continued to dominate puck possession. Philadelphia had the puck in deep as the period expired.
2) First period shots on goal were 13-8 Flyers. Shot attempts were 23-18 Flyers. Scoring chances were 14-7 Flyers.
3) The Flyers had an early edge in territory in the second period but the Blue Jackets tied the game at 5:58. On a left point shot by Jake Christiansen, Marchenko swatted the puck down and severely deflected it. The puck hopped over Hart into the net. Eric Robinson earned the secondary assist.
Columbus took a 2-1 lead at 8:41. The Flyers turned over the puck in the attack zone and Ristolainen fell down in the neutral zone, giving the Blue Jackets a 2-on-1. Puck carrier Johnson elected to shoot and, from the left slot, beat Hart to the glove side. The assists went to Gaudreau and Patrik Laine.
The Flyers re-tied the game at 2-2 just past the midway point of regulation at 10:04 of the second period. Philly worked the puck around boards. van Riemsdyk sent the puck out Cam York at the point and York passed to Frost. Finding some room to skate, Frost moved into the left circle and fired off a shot that beat Tarasov. The assists went to York and JVR .
The Flyers went on their first and only power play of the game at the 12:06 mark. Gavrikov was sent off for holding Laughton.
The Flyers weren't able to score on the 5-on-4 but tallied shortly after its expiration with PP2 still on the ice. Tippett retrieved his own shot attempt and sent the puck out to York. York then worked the puck down low to Farabee. After a centering feed in front as Tippett moved down the slot, Tippett's shot bled in past Tarasov for a 3-2 Flyers lead.
The Flyers were unable to extend the lead before the stanza ended.
4) Second period shots were 13-12 Flyers. Shot attempts were 23-15 Flyers. Scoring chances were 9-8 Columbus. High-danger chances were 4-3 Flyers.
5) At 2:45 of the third period, Konecny scored his second highlight reel goal of the night. It was a tremendous individual effort. TK wheeled around the offensive zone. He found a shooting lane and then elevated the puck home for a 4-2 lead. The goal was unassisted.
The Blue Jackets reduced the Flyers lead back down to a single goal at the 11:11 mark. Skating over the blueline with the puck, Peake fired off a rising shot that beat Hart over the blocker. The assists went to Jack Roslovic and Gustav Nyquist.
The Flyers had a few sloppy movements but Hart stepped up as needed. Finally, with Columbus attacking 6-on-5 and the net empty, Philly sealed the win at 18:41.
An errant pass attempt by Laine went out to the neutral zone. Tippett collected it and scored into the empty net. The goal was unassisted.
Third period shots were 13-13. Attempts were 23-20 Columbus. Scoring chances were 16-11 Flyers. High danger chances were 9-4 Flyers.