Postgame RAV4: Flyers Hold Off Caps

The Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Washington Capitals, 4-2, at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Tuesday evening. A third-period power play goal by Jamie Drysdale put Philly ahead to stay. Dan Vladar provided an excellent game in goal.

Owen Tippett (19th goal of the season) staked the Flyers to a 1-0 lead they took to the first intermission. The big story of the period was the 11 saves that Vladar made including no fewer than four spectacular stops.

In the second period, the Flyers benefitted from a favorable bounce on a goal by Carl Grundstrom (8th). Washington pushed back for a shorthanded tally by Aliaksei Protas (19th).

Washington's Anthony Beauvillier tied the game early in the third period. At the 14:37 mark, Jamie Drysdale (PPG, 4th) reclaimed the lead on a power play goal through traffic. The Flyers later got a long-distance empty goal from Rasmus Ristolainen (1st).

Vladar made 26 saves on 28 shots. Washington's Clay Stevenson turned aside 18 of 21 shots from the Flyers.

The Flyers went 1-for-3 on the power play. The Drysdale power play goal canceled out the earlier shorthanded goal Philly yielded. They were 1-for-1 on the power play.

FIRST PERIOD SYNOPSIS

The Flyers went to the game's first penalty kill at 2:55. Vladar made two spectacular glove saves -- basically fighting to get a piece of equipment on the puck. Later, he moved laterally to deny an Anthony Beauvillier one-timer.

The Flyers took a 1-0 lead at 5:56. Nic Deslauriers went off for tripping. Excellent puck movement from Matvei Michkov to Travis Sanheim to goal scorer Tippett produced a nifty backhand finish.

Vladar read and prevented a backdoor goal at 10:56. He moved fast laterally and sealed off the short side. At 11:30, the goalie made back-to-back saves on chances from the slot. Later, around 17 minutes into the period, he denied Tom Wilson from the slot.

Shots: Flyers 7 - Capitals 10
Faceoffs: Flyers 11 - Capitals 7

SECOND PERIOD SYNOPSIS

The Flyers went to their first power play at 2:02 after Ovechkin slashed Nikita Grebenkin's glove.The Flyers generated one routine shot on net.

Philly got a lucky bounce for a 2-0 lead. Grundstrom wasn't even attempting a shot but the puck bounced off Jakob Chychrun's skate and into the net. The assists were credited to Deslauriers (first point of the season) and Rasmus Ristolainen.

Tippett made a power move toward the net and was tripped by Chychrun. The Flyers returned to the power play at 6:59. Jamie Drysdale made a diving keep just inside the blueline. Stevenson stopped a Trevor Zegras one-timer from the right dot.

The Caps got the goal back shorthanded at 8:12. A Cam York shot missed the net and rimmed around the boards past Michkov. Washington had a 2-on-1 rush. Beauvillier fed the puck across the Protas. This time, Vladar wasn't quite able to get across.

Receiving a stretch pass from Cates, Brink hit the crossbar on a breakaway. Vladar denied Wilson at the other end. At 13;58, Vladar stopped Hendrix Lapierre in close.

Noah Cates attempted a wrapround at 16:42. Stevenson made the save. A mini-scrum ensued at the whistle but calmed down quickly. As play entered the final minute, Brink had a great scoring chance but missed the net. At the other end, after a Michkov giveaway, Protas missed the net from the slot.

Shots: Flyers 6 (13 overall) - Capitals 7 (18 overall)
Faceoffs: Flyers 9 (20 overall) - Capitals 9 (16 overall)

THIRD PERIOD SYNOPSIS

Washington tied the game on a rebound goal by Beauvillier on the doorstep at 2:40. The assists went to Justin Sourdif and Trevor van Riemsdyk.

Vladar made a pair of saves during a scramble at the net. Through nine minutes, shots on net were 4-3 Washington.

At the 11:30 mark, Ovechkin stepped out in front of the net. Vladar made a save with no rebound. Two minutes later, a backchecking Noah Cates broke up an odd-man rush.

The Flyers went to their third power play at 14:13. Konecny made a move to go around Sourdif and got hooked. The Flyers cashed it in at 14:37. From the half-boards, Zegras fed the puck out to Drysdale at the point. Dvorak provided a screen in front and the Flyers reclaimed the lead. Konecny got the secondary assist.

Vladar found the puck through a screen and froze the puck with 1:54 left. The Capitals pulled Stevenson for an extra attacker. At 19:43, Ristolainen scored into the empty net from the defensive zone. Konecny earned the lone assist.

Shots: Flyers 8 (21 overall) - Capitals 9 (27 overall)
Faceoffs: Flyers 6 (26 overall) - Capitals 11 (27 overall)

FLYERS STARTING LINEUP

Nikita Grebenkin -- Christian Dvorak -- Travis Konecny
Denver Barkey -- Trevor Zegras -- Owen Tippett
Matvei Michkov -- Noah Cates -- Bobby Brink
Nicolas Deslauriers -- Sean Couturier -- Carl Grundstrom

Travis Sanheim -- Rasmus Ristolainen
Cam York -- Jamie Drydale
Nick Seeler -- Noah Juulsen

Dan Vladar
[Aleksei Kolosov]

Postgame RAV4 (RAV4 Things Revisited)

1. Game management

The first period was all about goaltending. The Flyers were a bit better in the second period, but there were still plenty of open chances at both ends. Philly was charged with 18 giveaways through 40 minutes.

2. Flyers centers

Christian Dvorak, Trevor Zegras, Noah Cates and Sean Couturier all contributed in their own ways. Zegras provided the setup pass on Drysdale's goal with Dvorak setting a screen. Cates made a key backchecking play. Couturier won nine of his first 10 faceoffs and 11 of 14.

3. Between the pipes

Vladar was the biggest reason why the Flyers took leads into the second and third periods. All night long, he stopped everything he had a reasonable chance to save.

4. The Wilson effect

Capitals power winger Tom Wilson was held quiet on this night.