The Flyers travel to Nashville to face former coach Peter Laviolette and the Predators. This might go down as the wildest game of the entire season, if only the game didn’t end with a coaching blunder. 6-5 Nashville.
1st Period
This game started just about how one would expect. Nashville dominated the pace of play early with the patented Peter Laviolette forecheck that had the Flyers defensemen on their heels.
A slashing penalty to Claude Giroux gave the Predators their first powerplay of the game and just 4:17 in, Craig Smith gave Nashville an early 1-0 lead.
The Preds continued to control the pace of play up until about halfway through the period, then the Flyers started to take it to them. Getting pucks in deep, working the cycle game, better zone entries and exits etc. Despite an onslaught of chances early in the period, the Flyers ended up almost pulling even in the corsi game: 15 for Nashville, 13 for Philadelphia.
If you had to pick the most valuable Flyer of the period, it has to go to goaltender Brian Elliott. Just 23 seconds into the game Victor Arvidsson received a football pass and was denied by Elliott on a breakaway glove save.
Brian Elliott makes a great save in the first minute of the game. pic.twitter.com/jPfS4R3YBb
— Broad Street Hockey (@BroadStHockey) October 11, 2017
Without Elliott, it might be a much more difficult task to tie and take the lead in this game.
2nd Period
NOLAN PATRICK SCORED HIS FIRST NHL GOAL AND THIS IS ALL I CARE ABOUT
(oh by the way the Flyers came back down 3-0 in one period)
Alright gonna try to unpack this period as best I can because a lot happened in a short amount of time. The period began less than ideal with sigh OF COURSE former Flyer Scott (Steve) Hartnell beating Elliott on one of the weaker goals you’re going to see. Elliott gives up a big rebound then somehow getting in the worst position ever to ready for the shot? An ugly goal all around.
Just 2:03 after, Nick Bonino puts one by Elliott after Giroux got absolutely burned by Mattias Ekholm. Just like that it’s 3-0 Nashville not even halfway through the 2nd period.
Now let’s get to the fun stuff
So if you missed the game and you didn’t see any highlights or anything and you’re reading about the game for the first time and what happened in it, brace yourself because you’re in for a shock. Andrew MacDonald scored the first goal of the game for the Flyers.
As much as I despise A-Mac being in this lineup, this was a great goal and a perfect set up by Scott Laughton. MacDonald not only scored the goal but he started the play that got the Flyers in the offensive zone in a pretty solid way. Take a look
Andrew MacDonald (yes that Andrew MacDonald) puts the Flyers on the board. pic.twitter.com/YWFJ5h0nCJ
— Broad Street Hockey (@BroadStHockey) October 11, 2017
The patience in the neutral zone, not settling for simply dumping the puck in lead to the great board work by Laughton, then the prescense of mind by A-Mac (did I really just say that?) to find the soft spot of the Nashville defense. What a play.
The second goal was scored by none other than SECOND OVERALL PICK (illuminati confirmed) NOLAN JAMES PATRICK. Right off the faceoff after MacDonald’s goal, Dale Weise pressured the Nashville defense into a turnover and he set up Nolan who buried it with ease pass a sprawling Pekka Rinne. This may have been my reaction to the goal
— Alexandra M (@ItsAFez66) October 11, 2017
For your viewing pleasure, here’s the goal.
NOLAN PATRICK WITH GOAL #1 IN THE NHL #flyers pic.twitter.com/4yHguxM83u
— Broad Street Hockey (@BroadStHockey) October 11, 2017
Valtteri Filppula would then score with just under five minutes left in the period, and just like that the game is tied.
Oh, and the Flyers out-corsi’d the Predators 14-10 in the second as well. Tie game going to the 3rd.
3rd Period
Well…that was depressing.
Five minutes into the period Travis Konecny added the finish to an already impressive game. Using his speed to create a breakaway then sniping one top shelf on Rinne, just like that, the Flyers have a 4-3 lead after trailing 3-0 early in the second period.
Travis Konecny with a perfect snipe pic.twitter.com/9x6GlZtdDF
— Broad Street Hockey (@BroadStHockey) October 11, 2017
Just 1:45 later, Filppula scored his second of the game on the powerplay after a beautiful pass from behind the net by Giroux (Hakstol must listen to the podcast, or at least when Bill speaks about PP strategies).
Because this is still Philadelphia, and we’re not allowed to have fun things, Filip Forsberg got behind Radko Gudas and went top shelf on Elliott, and all of a sudden it’s 5-4 Flyers.
Whether they simply got tired, or they began to sit back, Nasvhille proceeded to dominate play for seemingly the rest of the game.
The rest of the game….I’d rather not even discuss.
The Flyers take two penalties that lead to a five on three powerplay for the Preds, they would score on a rebound by YOU GUESSED IT Scott Hartnell. Dave Hakstol would then challenge the goal for offsides and due to the new rule, if the challenge is made and the goal still stands, the team challenging is charged with a penalty.
Needless to say the goal stood, and the Flyers went right back on the five on three PK. Filip Forsberg scores with 36 seconds left and Nashville wins in regulation 6-5. No points for the Flyers and they end the west coast trip 2-2-0.
Here is the video reaction from BSH Radio’s Bill Matz
Posted by Broad Street Hockey: For Philadelphia Flyers Fans on Tuesday, October 10, 2017
