The Philadelphia Flyers struggled to get on track against the Washington Capitals at the Giant Center in Hershey, PA., on Thursday night. After leading 1-0 at the first intermission, the Caps broke the game open over the final 40 minutes. The outcome was a 5-1 Washington victory.
Jacob Gaucher got the Flyers on the board in the latter states of the second period to narrow a 3-0 deficit to two goals as he tucked the puck into the net from point-blank range. That was the lone Flyers highlight. The Caps scored twice in the third period to pull away again.
Andrew Cristall got the lone goal of the first period. With Noah Juulsen in the penalty box on a kneeing minor, Cristall scored from the top of the left circle. Starting goaltender Dan Vladar played the opening 20 minutes and then gave way to Aleksei Kolosov, who has played 100 minutes over the three preseason games to date.
In the middle stages of the second period, Ivan Miroshnichenko and Sonny Milano extended the lead to 3-0. The Flyers let a lengthy 5-on-3 power play opportunity go for naught. However, at 15:51, Gaucher made no mistake on a wide open opportunity. Rodrigo Abols and Adam Ginning earned the assists.
The Capitals resumed control in the third period. The majority of the play was in the Flyers' end of the ice, and a Conor McMichael shorthanded goal at 1:07 torpedoed any momentum for the Flyers. Milano added his second goal of the game late in regulation.
The Flyers went 0-for-4 on the power play, and allowed the backbreaking McMichael shorthanded tally. Philly was 1-for-2 on the penalty kill.
FLYERS STARTING LINEUP
Alex Bump – Noah Cates – Travis Konecny
Owen Tippett – Jett Luchanko – Nikita Grebenkin
Denver Barkey – Jack Nesbitt – Devin Kaplan
Nicolas Deslauriers – Jacob Gaucher – Rodrigo Abols
Cam York – Helge Grans
Adam Ginning – Egor Zamula
Dennis Gilbert – Noah Juulsen
Dan Vladar
Aleksei Kolosov
POSTGAME 5 (Five Thing Revisited)
1. The "Bumpchanko" effect.
Alex Bump and Jett Luchanko showed instant chemistry this past spring as Lehigh Valley Phantoms' teammates during the Calder Cup playoffs. Unfortunately, as with most of the Flyers, neither Bump nor Luchanko were able to generate much in this game. Bump finished the night with two shots on goal, and one for Luchanko.
2. Second look at Grebenkin.
Russian winger Nikita Grebenkin was another one of the many Flyers who could not find a rhythm against the Capitals. Washington usually had puck possession.
3. York's usage.
York saw all-situations ice time. He had two shots on goal. The defenseman finished the night minus-two on the stat sheet.
4. Blueline roster battles.
Egor Zamula, Noah Juulseen, Dennis Gilbert and Helge Grana all dressed for this game. The Caps made it a long night for the Flyers defense hopefuls. Zamula did make a couple of good defensive plays during Philadelphia's second penalty of the game.
5. Vladar's Flyers preseason debut.
Newcomer Vladar stopped eight of nine shots in his one period of action. Over the remainder of the game, Kolosov made 16 saves on 20 shots.
