The Flyers took
a commanding 4-goal lead after a 5 minute penalty to the Avalanche late in the
1st period. Throughout the 1st and 2nd period
the Flyers kept the Avs chasing a fast paced game, where they dominate, pushed
the pace and exhibited outstanding puck control. But, the Flyers left enough
space for the Avs to mount an impressive come back during the 3rd
period, forcing the Flyers to bare down and Steve Mason to come up with
important saves. The Flyers killed off a huge 6 on 4 power play in the last
moments of the game to notch the 4-3 win.
Three Stars of
the game: Steve Mason, Claude Giroux, Wayne Simmonds
Steve Mason has
come back into the net with refreshed confidence and stands tall as the Flyers
starting goaltender. The win tonight largely laid upon his shoulders as managed
to keep the puck out of the net during the last seconds of the game to notch
the win for the Flyers. Claude Giroux had his first multi-goal game and sniped
a beautiful goal in the first period, which earned him a star. This was Wayne
Simmonds first game on the top-line and he was a perfect fit, contributing to
the win.
The Flyers are
approaching the season with different style, which could explain the slow start
they got to the season. But now in full swing, they are exhibiting a great
power play and penalty kill, areas in which they have struggled in the past.
It was great to
see the Flyers come out of the gate strong for 40 minutes tonight but they can’t
sit back and stop skating once they grab a lead. The most notorious instigators
for the Flyers, Zac Rinaldo, showing restraint and not taking untimely penalties
forcing extra work for the specialty teams is a welcomed change. Thankfully, it
is still early enough in the season for the Flyers to completely change
momentum and make their early season loses a distant memory.
Looking ahead,
the Flyers will take a 5 day break and face off against the Columbus Blue
Jackets on Friday.
