Thanks to a dominant night from the team’s top line and a two-goal night from an unexpected source, the Philadelphia Flyers steamrolled the Washington Capitals for an 8-2 win. Sean Couturier, Scott Laughton, and Claude Giroux each had two-goal games, while Wayne Simmonds and Valtteri Filppula added goals in the tilt. Giroux had a four-point night, while Couturier and Voracek each had three-point nights as the Orange and Black improved to 3-2-0 with their victory in the home opener. Shayne Gostisbehere recorded three assists on the blue line while Brian Elliott stopped 21 of 23.
The star of the night was Voracek, who led several odd-man rushes for the Flyers and had a highlight-reel assist on Simmonds’ power-play goal in the second period. He may have not scored in the win, but Voracek nearly potted one in the first period, while being hooked by John Carlson in the crease, and in the third period, when he hit the crossbar on a 2-on-1 rush with Giroux. The top line created all night long and it seemed to be Voracek who was leading the charge.
Giroux and Couturier also had their moments in the lopsided affair. Giroux started the play that resulted in the Flyers’ first goal before adding on three more points later in the game, while Couturier scored both of his goals around the crease. It’s also worth mentioning that the top line went up against Alex Ovechkin’s line for most of the night and kept the Russian forward off the board for his second goalless contest of the season.
For the Capitals, it obviously was a rough night for the team as a whole, but it was especially tough for Carlson. The American rearguard had a pair of penalties on the night, one of which led to Simmonds’ power-play goal in the second frame. While the Caps were on a power-play in the first period, he had a pass knocked down in the neutral zone by Laughton, which led to the Flyers’ second goal of the game. Carlson also missed Jakub Vrana on a stretch pass that would have led to a 3-on-1 when the game was still in reach for Washington in the third period. No Capital really stood out in a positive way in the thrashing, but it seemed like Carlson definitely had the roughest night.
The Flyers are looking for a similar outcome in their next game on Tuesday, as they host the Florida Panthers.
