Philadelphia Flyers Beat Panthers with Determined Effort
The Philadelphia Flyers began a tough back-to-back in Florida with a tight performance against the Panthers and a 3-1 victory
The Philadelphia Flyers began their swing through Florida in Miami against the Panthers on Tuesday night, with the Flyers trying to avoid their sixth loss in eight games. Furthermore, the Flyers surprised everyone in the afternoon before the game when it became clear that Michael Del Zotto would be a healthy scratch.
No matter, the Flyers came ready to play. The Panthers came at them with energy in the first, but the Flyers held the fort defensively even if their own shots were only sporadic. With the Panthers doing most of the pressing, Wayne Simmonds grabbed the puck and went all the way down for an unassisted goal.
From there, the Flyers did something they haven’t done all season. They collapsed around the goalie, and protected a small lead. Steve Mason lost his shutout in the final moments, but overall it was the best defense and goaltending the Flyers have managed all season for a 3-1 win.
Forwards
Defense
Goaltending and Special Teams
The real story of this game was the team defensive effort. Steve Mason looked sharp and locked it down, while the Flyers did a lot to protect him and limit second chances. Ultimately, Mason made 38 saves, allowing only 1 goal in the final 2 minutes of the game. It was definitely his best game of the season.
The Flyers were also perfect on special teams. They killed off 4 penalties, while scoring on both their power plays. Best not to be overconfident however, as both power play goals were on the rush instead of traditional setups, and the Panthers were peppering the Flyers net on some of their power plays.
Up Next
The Philadelphia Flyers go across Florida for a re-match against the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight. Just last week, the Lightning stifled the Flyers 3-0, while goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy extended his scoreless streak. The Lightning lost their last game, but that was with Ben Bishop in net. Vasilevskiy will try to end extend his streak against the Flyers.
The Flyers will also have to figure out how they will fill Couturier’s 2C spot. The leading candidates are probably Nick Cousins and Brayden Schenn. Also, the Anthony Stolarz watch is on for his NHL debut in net. Given Mason’s strong performance against the Panthers, he might start on back-to-back nights anyway.
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