Postgame RAV4: California Sweep

The Philadelphia Flyers defeated the San Jose Sharks, 4-1, at the "Shark Tank" on Saturday afternoon. The Flyers swept their three-game California road trip and extended their road winning streak to seven straight games.

The first period was scoreless. The red hot Owen Tippett (26th goal of the season) gave Philly a 1-0 lead early in the middle frame. Dmitry Orlov (PPG, 3rd) later tied the game.

In the third period, the Flyers re-took the lead on a goal from Chtistian Dvorak (PPG, 14th). Travis Sanheim (ENG, 8th) and Noah Cates (ENG, 15th) added insurance late in the period.

Dan Vladar earned the win. He stopped 24 of 25 shots. Alex Nedeljkovic took the loss, making 24 saves on 26.

FIRST PERIOD SYNOPSIS

The first period was relatively low-event and evenly played. That was a positive for the Flyers in their third game in less than four nights.

At 1:48, veteran heavyweights Garrett Wilson and Ryan Reaves dropped the gloves.

Philly went on the game's first power play. At 5:09, Collin Graf went off for hooking. The Flyers were unable to score.

Christian Dvorak broke up a very dangerous scoring chance for Adam Gaudette. Otherwise, it probably would have been a goal.

The Sharks went to a 5-on-4 man advantage when Trevor Zegras was called for a kneeing minor (looked more like a trip). The Flyers' PK generated a shorthanded chance for Owen Tippett.

San Jose went back to the power play when Philly was called for too many men at 15:40, San Jose was better organized on this opportunity but Philly killed it off again.

Shots: Flyers 6 - Sharks 6 
Faceoffs; Flyers 9  - Sharks 8 

SECOND PERIOD SYNOPSIS

Tippett scored his 5th goal in eight games. Taking a pass from Zegras, Tippett entered the attack zone and beat Nick Leddy. Moving into the top of the left circle, just above the hash marks, Tippett rifled home the puck at 2:26. The assists went to Zegras and Noah Juulsen.

Philly earned their second power play at 5:02. Philipp Kurashev tripped Rasmus Ristolainen in the San Jose offensive zone. Matvei Michkov and Dvorak had chances near the net after a Jamie Drysdale shot got through to Nedeljkovic.

The Flyers outworked San Jose for several scoring chances; most notably for Travis Konecny, Alex Bump and Noah Cates. Through 9:30, shots were 8-2 Flyers.

Macklin Celebrini and Tippett traded off scoring chances at either end of the ice' a Celebrini backhander and a Tippett chance looking for the five-hole off the rush.

The hitting intensity picked up considerably, especially by San Jose. The Sharks went back to the power play at 12:19 on an Emil Andrae delay of game minor penalty.  San Jose drew even at 13:10 as Orlov scored over the middle off a feed from William Eklund. Celebrini, who broke Philly's defensive coverage to start the sequence, got the secondary assist.

Vladar stopped a scorching Will Smith shot from the flank.

Philly went to the power play at 16:17 after Eklund blatantly grabbed hold of Tippett as the Flyers' winger worked below the San Jose goal line. Noah Cates had a scoring opportunity from the left hash marks after a nice set-up from Michkov.

For the second time this season, Zegras dropped the gloves to defend a teammate. After Zegras took a hit from Barclay Goodrow, Cates stepped in at 17:12.

Shots: Flyers  12 (18 overall)  - Sharks 7 (13 overall)
Faceoffs; Flyers 12 (21 overall) - Sharks 11 (19 overall)

THIRD PERIOD SYNOPSIS

Hathaway knocked down Celebrini behind the goal line in the San Jose zone. Mario Ferraro got a retaliatory roughing minor at 1:14. 

The long-suffering power play broke through at 1:43. It started with a clean entry by Michkov and ended with Dvorak finishing it to the far side from the right circle. Konecny and Michkov (100th NHL point) got the assists as Philly ended a 0-for-20 drought on the power play.

Zegras tripped Celebrini at 4:56. The Flyers won the first faceoff but Cam York turned over his clearing attempt. San Jose pressed the attack. Vladar stopped an Orlov one-timer. The Sharks maintained possession for the entire two minutes and the Flyers somehow survived.

At 7:40, the Flyers flurried and got a power play on a Celebrini slashing penalty. They were unable to add to the lead.

Philly got hemmed in the defensive zone. They hung in but York had to take an icing. At 12:11, Vladar gloved down an Alexander Wennberg one-timer from the right dot.

The Sharks pulled Nedeljkovic and called time out.  At 18:48, Sanheim intercepted a pass intended for Smith and scored into the empty net from long distance. The goal was unassisted. Cates tacked on another empty netter, assisted by Dvorak, at 19:24.

Shots: Flyers 10 (28 overall)  - Sharks 12 (25 overall)
Faceoffs; Flyers 5 (26 overall) - Sharks 13 (32 overall)

FLYERS STARTING LINEUP

Alex Bump – Christian Dvorak – Travis Konecny
Nikita Grebenkin – Trevor Zegras – Owen Tippett
Carl Grundstrom – Noah Cates – Matvei Michkov
Garnett Wilson – Garnet Hathaway

Travis Sanheim – Rasmus Ristolainen
Cam York – Jamie Drysdale
Nick Seeler – Noah Juulsen
Emil Andrae (7th defenseman/ 13th forward)

Dan Vladar
[Samuel Ersson]

Postgame RAV4 (RAV4 Things Revisited)

1. All hands on deck (again)

The Flyers once again did a good job of circling the wagons with three injured forwards and a grueling schedule. Emil Andrae once again saw time at center as well as on defense, for example. Dvorak made a goal-saving defensive stop in the first period and scored a go-ahead tally in the third.

2. Cates setting a tone

Cates, as he has often of late, helped set a tone 

of resiliency and team-first focus. Most notably, he didn't hesitate to step up on behalf of Zegras. Later, he further cemented the three-goal win.

3. Vladar back in net

The Czech Olympian was rock solid again. His poise stood out most of all.

4. Special teams

The Flyers went 1-for-5 on the power play. They were 3-for-4 on the penalty kill.