Postgame 5: Zegras and Vladar Spur Flyers Win

The Philadelphia Flyers rode strong goaltending and opportunistic offensive in the latter half of the game to a 4-1 victory over the Nashville Predators at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Thursday night. The Flyers are now 6-1-0 on home ice this season.

Trevor Zegras led the way offensively with two goals and an assist. Matvei Michkov generated a pair of primary assists. Dan Vladar played an excellent game in net.

After a scoreless first period, Zegras (3rd) and Jamie Drysdale (1st) opened a 2-0 lead for the Flyers in the middle frame. However, Matthew Wood (1st) got the goal back late in the period.

Early in the third period, Zegras (PPG, 4th) blasted home a one-timer to restore a two-goal lead.

Vladar stopped 32 of 33 shots for the Flyers. In a losing cause, Juuse Saros made 14 saves on 17 shots for Nashville.

First period synopsis

Nashville had three of the game's first five shots on goal through 9:01. Nashville surged over the next several minutes. Luke Evangelista shanked a shot with the right half of the net open.

At 11:54, Jamie Drysdale was sent off for hooking. The Flyers staged a successful kill with one shot allowed.

At 16:09, Vladar came out nicely to cut down the angle of a right slot shot. Offense remained scarce for Philadelphia, however.

Vladar made a tough save during a delayed Flyers penalty. At the whistle Bobby Brink was sent off for interference at 19:57.

Shots: Flyers 3 - Predators 10

Faceoffs: Flyers 7 - Predators 4

Notable:

* A very sluggish first period for the Flyers.

* Cam York showed a good defensive stick to kill a developing scoring chance for Nashville.

* Jamie Drysdale used his feet to strong effect and skated a puck out of danger.

* Although not known for his defense, Matvei Michkov made one of the better back checking plays by a Philadelphia forward in the first period.

Second period synopsis

Sean Couturier did not return to the ice for the second period. The Flyers juggled their lines.

The Flyers killed the carryover penalty and went on the attack. At 2:59, Abols had a scoring chance off a Trevor Zegras drop pass.

Through 6:56, second period shots were 9-1 Predators (19-4 Nashville overall). Owent Tippett was stopped on a breakaway five-hole attempt off a lead pass from Michkov after he intercepted a Nashville pass in the defensive zone.

Hanging out at the red line, Michkov received a lead pass and went off on a semi-breakaway. Saros made the save at 12:26.

The Flyers broke the scoreless tie at 12:45. Moving laterally up high, Zegras wristed a tracer through traffic and into the net for a 1-0 The assists went to Michkov and Tippett. Michkov won a battle on the right side boards to set the rest in motion.

Philly nearly struck again two shifts later. Travis Sanheim joined the attack and tipped a puck just wide.

Pinching down low, Drysdale received a centering pass from Michkov -- who initially seemed to think about a Michigan -- and fired a shot home. The assists went to Michkov and Zegras at 15:41.

The Flyers got caught with players out of the D zone as a Tippett clearing pass got knocked down. A Wood shot went off Nick Seeler's lost stick and went past Vladar at 18:03. Assists went to Michael Bunting and Erik Haula.

Shots: Flyers 8 (11 overall) - Predators 14 (24 overall)

Faceoffs: Flyers 13 (20 overall) - Predators 11 (15 overall)

Notable:

* The Flyers didn't get going until the latter half of the middle frame. Once they got their feet moving, their offensive play picked up. However, the first 40 minutes overall were rather lackluster.

* Michkov showed some outstanding work along the boards on the eventual Zegras goal. It was worth isolating how well he used his feet to shield the puck.

* The late period goal by Wood set up a situation where the Flyers needed to stage a stronger overall period in the third than either of the first two.

Third period synopsis

After generating forechecking pressure, at 6:57, the Flyers finally went on their first power play of the game. Nicolas Hague went off for hooking.

Zegras made it count immediately. Cates won a left circle faceoff, triggering a set play. Cates drew the puck back to York at the left point. York teed up a one-timer for Zegras at the top of the right circle. Zegras blasted home the puck for his second goal of the game. The helpers went to York and Cates at 7:00.

As the period hit the midpoint, Abols had a breakaway chance. Saros stopped the low blocker-side shot.

An after-the-whistle scrum in the Flyers end created some 4-on-4 play at 14:17. Cates (slashing) and Haula (roughing) went off on coincidental minors. At 14:34, Vladar made a tough stop on Bunting for his 30th save of the game.

Nashville pulled Saros for a 5-on-4 with 50 seconds remaining on the minors. Koecny bagged an empty net goal from the left side after the Flyers broke out of the defensive zone at 15:54. The assist went to Christian Dvorak.

Shots: Flyers 7 (18 overall) - Predators 9 (33 overall)

Faceoffs: Flyers 8 (28 overall) - Predators 8 (23 overall)

Notable:

* Emil Andrae played a strong overall game in 14:51 of ice time. He made a couple of good defensive stick plays (including one right after absorbing a hit) and a few nice breakout passes. Head coach Rick Tocchet said afterwards that he was pleased with the Swede's performance.

* Nashville threw a lot of rubber at the net all night. The Flyers did come up with 21 blocked shots, and jammed the dangerous Filip Forsberg (six attempts blocked, two on net) when they were able.

Flyers Starting Lineup

Owen Tippett – Sean Couturier – Travis Konecny
Trevor Zegras – Christian Dvorak– Matvei Michkov
Tyaso Foerster – Noah Cates – Bobby Brink
Nicolas Deslauriers – Rodrigo Abols – Garnet Hathaway

Cam York– Travis Sanheim
Nick Seeler – Jamie Drysdale
Emil Andrae – Noah Juulsen

Dan Vladar
[Aleksei Kolosov]

Postgame Rav4 (Rav4 Things Revisited)

1. "Darth" Vladar

It took the Flyers a long time to get to their game on Thursday. Vladar did yeoman work to keep the game scoreless until the team broke through offensively. In the third period, the netminder helped immensely in closing out the win.

2. First period fast start

The Flyers were fortunate not to go the first intermission trailing. They were sloppy and reactive rather than setting the pace. Philly players passed up open shots several times and forced the puck into bad areas on several others. The Flyers also took a pair of minor penalties they didn't need to take. Luckily for Philly, Vladar made 10 saves including a few tough ones. The teams went off scoreless.

3. Zegras point streak

Trevor Zegras opened his Flyers career by posting at least one point in each of the first six games played at home. On Thursday, he extended the streak on his first goal of the game before adding an assist and another tally.

4. Special team battle

The Flyers won both sides of the special teams battle in Tuesday's win against Pittsburgh. Against Nashville, they did it again. Philly went 1-for-1 on the power play and 2-for-2 on the penalty kill.