Postgame RAV4: Flyers Hold Off Hawks, 3-1

The Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Chicago Blackhawks, 3-1, at United Center on Tuesday evening. Philadelphia enters the league-wide holiday break with a 19-10-7 record. Chicago lost its sixth straight game in regulation.

Travis Konecny (11th goal of the season) gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead midway through the first period. The Flyers extended the edge to two goals in the middle stage of the second period, courtesy of Noah Cates (PPG, 9th) converting a feed from Konecny. It was Konecny's 300th career assist.

Late in the second period, Ryan Donato (9th) narrowed the deficit to 2-1 with both teams skating at 4-on-4.

Carl Grundstrom (ENG, 5th) iced the win in the latter stages of the third period.

Samuel Ersson made 20 saves on 21 shots. Spencer Knight turned back 23 of 25 shots in a losing cause.

The Flyers were 1-for-4 on the power play. They went a perfect 4-for-4 on the penalty kill to prevail in the special teams battle for the night.

FIRST PERIOD SYNOPSIS

Rodrigo Abols won the game's first faceoff and generated the night's first shot on goal. On his second shift of the game, Nikita Grebenkin made a strong play down low in the offensive zone.

Through 7:30, the Abols shot was still the lone shot on net for either club. At 7:59, the Flyers received the game's first penalty. Trevor Zegras went off for tripping Alex Vlasic. Ersson made a pair of saves.

Konency broke the scoreless deadlock at 10:17. Zegras picked up the puck behind the net and skated around to find open space. He then made a perfect feed to Konecny at the back door. The secondary assist went to Couturier.

Ersson came out to cut down the angle on a Connor Murphy shot. It was his third save of the period.

The Flyers went to their first power play at 14:29 after Colton Dach grabbed hold of Grebenkin. The Russian rookie kept his feet moving, which helped to draw the call. Travis Sanheim had a golden scoring chance at the doorstep. Chicago killed off the penalty.

Ersson and the Flyers dodged a bullet on a Ryan Donato chance off a 2-on-1 rush. Konecny did a good job getting back into the play.

With Bobby Brink right on the doorstep, Noah Cates created a late scoring chance. The game went to intermission with Philly holding a 1-0 lead.

Shots: Flyers 6 - Blackhawks 4
Faceoffs: Flyers 7 - Blackhawks 3

SECOND PERIOD SYNOPSIS

Thirty four seconds into the period, Grundstrom was sent off for a roughing minor on Wyatt Kaiser. Ersson made a glove save on a Nick Lardis shot the netminder was able to track all the way. Later, with Oliver Moore set up in front, Ersson fought off the traffic for a save.

Rasmus Ristolainen stopped a Chicago entry attempt cold at the defensive blueline. Through five minutes, shots on goal were 4-0 Chicago.

Four seconds short of the game's midpoint -- at 9:56 of the second period -- the Blackhawks were guilty of too many men on the ice. At 11:13, Konecny threaded a pass from the side of the net to Cates for a 2-0 lead. The second assist went to Jamie Drysdale.

Through 15 minutes, shots on goal were 7-4 Chicago. Two shifts later, Ersson made a save on Tyler Bertuzzi. The netminder lost his stick on the sequence but no harm ensued.

Murphy cross-checked Konecny and got a penalty at 17:37. The Flyers went back to the power play. The power play lasted just for 10 seconds. Barkey hit Kaiser from behind and got a boarding minor at 17:47.

With 90 seconds left in the period, Chicago pulled back within one goal. Donato fired and scored from the right circle at 18:30. Donato came toward the middle of the ice, whiffed on an initial shot and scored to the blocker side from the hash marks. There was traffic in front. The assists on the 4-on-4 goal went to Matt Grzelcyk and Artyom Levshonov.

Shots: Flyers 9 (15 overall) - Blackhawks 10 (14 overall)
Faceoffs: Flyers 13 (6 overall) - Blackhawks 20 (23 overall)

THIRD PERIOD SYNOPSIS

Denver Barkey did not return for the third period. He appeared to take a forearm up high from Kaiser on his final shift of the evening.

Michkov and Lardis went off for unsportsmanlike conduct penalties at 3:40. Shots were 2-2 as the 4-on-4 began. Ersson made a kick save on Moore to keep the one-goal lead.

The Flyers went to the power play at 7:29. Vlasic hit Sanheim away from the puck for an interference minor. Philadelphia was unable to capitalize.

At 15:36, Couturier was called for a phantom hooking penalty. The infraction was actually committed at the blue line by Grebenkin. However, the call stood

against the Flyers' captain. Dvorak came up with a key clear of the defensive zone.

The Blackhawks pulled Knight for an extra attacker. Couturier got the puck to Grundstrom for an empty net goal at 17:52. The second assist went to Ristolainen.

Chicago pulled Knight again.

Shots: Flyers 10 (25 overall) - Blackhawks 7 (21 overall)
Faceoffs: Flyers 6 (19 overall) - Blackhawks 9 (32 overall)

FLYERS STARTING LINEUP

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

Cam York – Travis Sanheim
Emil Andrae – Jamie Drysdale
Nick Seeler - Rasmus Ristolainen

Samuel Ersson

[Dan Vladar]

Postgame RAV4 (RAV4 Things Revisited)

1. Fatigue factor.

The Flyers played a decent first period. As the game moved along, the energy and execution wavered at times. Chicago hung around into the third period. Philadelphia kept things simple and limited Chicago to only a couple of notable scoring chances in the third period.

2. Zegras goes for nine.

Trevor Zegras wasted little time extending his career-best point streak to nine straight games. He had a beautiful set up of Konecny to open the scoring in the first period.

3. Flyers fourth line.

The trio with Rodrigo Abols centering Carl Grundstrom and Nikita Grebenkin earned the honor of skating the game's first shift. They also skated the first shift of the second and third periods, and the shift immediately following a goal.

4. Followup game for Michkov.

Coming off a strong performance against Vancouver on Monday, Michkov skated 10:52 across 17 shifts. He attempted four shots (one on goal, three that missed the net). He took an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty but also took a Chicago player with him. He was charged with one giveaway.