The Flyers took a two games to one lead over the Montreal Canadiens in their First Round series as they made a skinny 1-0 lead hold up the rest of the way at Scotiabank Arena on Sunday night. The game was filled with special teams play, but neither team got anything going on the power play. The Flyers went 0-for-6 on the power play, while Montreal went 0-for-3.
Overall, it was a tight-checking and physical game but neither team was as clean with the puck as they needed to be. Jakub Voracek scored a deflection goal at 5:21 of the first period, assisted by Claude Giroux and Robert Hägg.
Carter Hart recorded the first playoff shutout of his NHL career, stopping 23 shots. Carey Price denied 19 of 20 Flyers shots.
TURNING POINT
On what looked like a set play off the faceoff, Voracek got himself to the net. Giroux threw the puck hard at the net from the left side and Voracek got a hippity-hop deflection goal. It wasn't pretty, but it loomed huge on this night.
MELTZER'S TAKE
* Getting traffic at the net contributed to the Flyers first scoring chance and, shortly, thereafter, created their first goal. Later, a four-minute power play by the Flyers accomplished very little but Travis Konecny drew iron on a shot through traffic and Voracek made a nice power move to the net in the latter part of the power play. A subsequent power play produced better possession and puck movement but no goal.
* Hart made the game's first tough save, denying Brett Kulak joining the rush. Later, Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Kulak hit the post with the same shift. Later, the Kotaniemi line hemmed in the Thompson line. Overall, though, the Flyers played much better defense in the opening period than they did in any period of Game 2.
* The second period was a physical, grinding frame with both teams generally playing solid defense. The Flyers' penalty kill stepped up in this stanza while the power play continued to struggle. Two uncharacteristic terrible giveaways by Scott Laughton -- one to Brendan Gallager in the slot after a backhanded flip from behind the net, the second to Jonathan Drouin right over the middle in the defensive zone -- were erased by Hart. Travis Sanheim had a strong period from the back end, on both sides of the puck. The Flyers did a good job at finishing checks.
* The Canadiens kept on taking stick penalties in the third period, and the Flyers continued to scuffle to generate any pressure. Hart came up with some big saves, including one on a shorthanded counterattack by Lehkonen.
* After a couple of icings by the Flyers, Hart denied Kotkaniemi point blank after he broke through the Flyers defense. Philly was able to hold on. Third period shots were 10-6 Montreal; hardly the sort of closeout the Flyers had in Game 1 but good enough on this night.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
* Carter Hart earned his first career playoff shutout and becomes the youngest goaltender in Flyers history to record a playoff shutout at 22 years and 3 days.
* Tonight was the first 1-0 playoff victory for the Flyers since Game 4 of the 2003 Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. Ottawa (May 1, 2003).
* Robert Hagg returned to the lineup tonight for his first action of the series. He recorded an assist for his first career playoff point and was a +1 on 12:54 of ice time.
* The Flyers blocked 24 shots compared to the Canadiens 10 blocked shots... Matt Niskanen led the way with six blocks.
* Jakub Voracek led the team in shots (4) and recorded his third career playoff game-winning goal - his others were 4/11/12 at PIT and 4/25/14 vs NYR.
