Postgame RAV4: Tippett Powers Flyers Past Detroit

The Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Detroit Red Wings, 5-3, at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday evening. Two goals by Owen Tippett led the way with a hat trick and an assist.

Philly built a cavernous 4-0 lead. They turned out to need every bit of it, withstanding a three-goal charge by Detroit in the latter part of the third period.

The Flyers have won seven consecutive road games. In the process, they have tied a franchise record for their long road winning streak.

In the first period Tippett (25th goal of the season) scored a breakaway goal to give the Flyers a quick 1-0 lead. Tippett struck again (26th) for a two-goal lead in the middle stages of regulation.

Noah Cates (PPG, 17th) built a 3-0 lead late in the period. In the final frame, Tippett (PPG, 28th) scored his third goal of the night. Back-to-back goals by Mason Appleton (6th) and Alex Debrincat (31st) cut the lead in half.

Detroit scored their third goal in 2:31 to narrow Philadelphia's lead to 4-3. Lucas Raymond (24th) did the scoring honors. Finally, Sean Couturier (ENG, 10th) iced the victory.

Dan Vladar earned the win with 29 saves on 32 shots. John Gibson struggled for Detroit (four goals allowed on 22 shots) before he was relieved in the third period by ex-Flyer Cam Talbot (four saves on four shots).

The Flyers went 2-for-2 on the power play. They were 2-for-2 on the PK.

Both teams had a would-be goal apiece wiped off the scoreboard on subsequent coaches' challenges for offside.

FIRST PERIOD SYNOPSIS

Alex Bump very nearly scored a goal in the opening minute for the second straight game. This time the puck deflected out of play.

Tippett got open behind the defense after Moritz Seider turned over the puck. Trevor Zegras made a perfect pass, and Tippett moved in to score through the five hole at 4:07. Zegras drew the lone assist. It was Tippett's sixth goal in the last 11 games.

The Flyers erased a Rasmus Ristolainen turnover. Vladar made a pair of back-to-back saves on Alex Debrincat.

Detroit had a 3-on-2 opportunity that turned into a mini 2-on-1. Travis Sanheim showed a quick defensive stick to deflect the Debrincat pass to safety. 

The Flyers caught a major break, Dylan Larkin beat Vladar with a 55-foot shot but the puck rang off the crossbar at 15:20.

Tippett turned Simon Edvinsson inside out on a one-on-one rush. He was unable to get a shot on goal.

Gibson made a point blank save on Luke Glendening off a centering pass in front from Sean Couturier in the final minute of the period.

Both Couturier and Christian Dvorak won five of six faceoffs in the first period.  Zegras won three of four.

Shots: Flyers 8 - Red Wings 7 
Faceoffs; Flyers 16 - Red Wings 4

SECOND PERIOD SYNOPSIS

The Flyers shook off a sloppy start to the period. Things picked up as the period progressed. Defensively, the Flyers played especially well in the neutral zone. Offensively, the Flyers remained opportunistic.

Early in the frame, Glendening tipped a Sanheim point shot on net. Gibson made the save. Dvorak won the ensuing faceoff after the stoppage by Philly was unable to hold the puck in the offensive zone.

Vladar took a shot off his mask for a stoppage of play. At the other end of the ice, the Flyers narrowly missed a back-door play intended for Bump.

Detroit went to the game's first power play at 7:12. Larkin drew an interference minor on Jamie Drysdale. On the ensuing 5-on-4, Vladar made a point-blank partial glove save on Patrick Kane to prevent a goal.

Vladar blockered a Patrick Kane shot into the corner. Hemmed in, the Flyers held on long enough to clear the puck for a line change. 

On the next shift, the Flyers made it 2-0. Denver Barkey brought the puck through the neutral zone. Tippett's shot squeezed through the five hole and trickled over the goal line at 12:22. The assists went to Barkey and Drysdale.

The Flyers went to their first power play at 15:48. Larkin went off for high-sticking Zegras. Staying red-hot offensively, Cates potted a Zegras rebound at 16:08. The apples went to Matvei Michkov and Konecny.

With play back at 5-on-5, Barkey wisely held onto a puck to allow his teammates to make a line change. Emil Andrae tripped Emmit Finnie at 18:19. The Red Wings broke the Flyers' penalty killing diamond. Debrincat's shot beat Vladar. Philly challenged the entry for offside by Seider at 18:36. The would-be goal was quickly overturned on replay.

Sanheim painfully blocked a shot. In the waning seconds, Vladar made a great blocker save (although no shot on goal was credited for some reason). Detroit took 19 seconds of power play time into the third period.

Shots: Flyers 10  (18 overall)  - Red Wings 8  (15 overall)

THIRD PERIOD SYNOPSIS

Bump made an area pass, collected by Dvorak. The Red Wings challenged it for an offside entry by Bump. At 0:38, the goal was disallowed.

Andrae took a hit to clear a puck out the defensive zone. Moments later, Detroit iced the puck.

Tippett cut over the middle. Bidding for a hat trick, his five-hole shot nearly trickled through Gibson again. Through 5:30, shots on goal were 5-5.

Couturier mixed it up with Mason Appleton. Garnet Hathaway came in to defend his teammate. The Flyers got a power play at 6:05 as Appleton was penalized for roughing. Konecny turned a puck over and then erased his own mistake defensively.

Finishing off his second hat trick of the season, Tippett picked up the puck at the blue line. Moving in, he ripped a shot under the crossbar for a 4-0 lead at 7:19. The assists went to Drysdale and Konecny.

Gibson exited the game right after the Tippett hat trick goal. Talbot entered the game in relief.

Two minutes of 4-on-4 play ensued after coincidental roughing minors on Michkov and Marco Kasper at 8:21. 

Konecny had a breakaway with a chance to build a five-goal lead. He hit the post. A frustrated David Perron blew his cool and took a 10-minute misconduct at 11:49.

Talbot gloved down Tippett's bid for his fourth goal of the game.

Appleton broke up Vladar's shutout bid at 13:43. The play developed out of a dump-in play. Apppleton scored from an odd angle. Justin Faulk drew the lone assist for his long-range bank pass that started the play.

Vladar had to make two saves as Detroit started to gain momentum. Philly got hemmed in the defensive zone. Eventually, at 15:10, Debrincat beat Vladar high to the blocker side. The assists went to Kane and Seider.

Detroit pulled Talbot for a 6-on-5. At 16:14, Raymond brought the Red Wings within 4-3. Seider and Kane drew the assists.

Even more nervous moments followed. Philadelphia twice failed to clear the defensive zone. Finally, at 17:56, Couturier guided an empty net goal to restore some breathing room. Tippett drew the lone assist.

Shots: Flyers 9 (27 overall)  - Red Wings 17  (32 overall)

FLYERS STARTING LINEUP

Alex Bump – Christian Dvorak – Travis Konecny
Denver Barkey – Trevor Zegras – Owen Tippett
Carl Grundstrom – Noah Cates – Matvei Michkov
Sean Couturier - Luke Glendening -- Garnet Hathaway

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

Dan Vladar

[Samuel Ersson]

Postgame RAV4 (RAV4 Things Revisited)

1. Between the Pipes

Plain and simple: Vladar was sharp for the game's first 55 minutes. Gibson was not sharp.

2. Captain Coots

Flyers captain Sean Couturier has scored a goal in three straight games. He also won nine of 13 faceoffs.

3. Quick Stars

The Flyers have scored first in five of the last six games, They took a lead to the first intermission. Entering the game, the Flyers sported a 16-1-1 record when leading at the end of the first period. When leading 3-0 after two periods, Philly entered the game with a 20-0-3 record.

4. The Larkin Factor

Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin was kept off the scoreboard. He skated 18:25. Larkin had a tough night on faceoffs, winning just three of 12 draws.