Flyers Win Fifth Shootout Game of the Year, Beat New York 4-3

The Philadelphia Flyers, for the first time in 20 years, played on the road on Black Friday, as they had an afternoon match-up against the New York Islanders, their first of three straight against a Metropolitan Division opponent.

Tonight’s game showed a lot of the ups and downs the Flyers have shown this season, including back-to-back scoring all the way to silly turnovers at the point. Through and through, Samuel Ersson and the squad headed to their fifth shootout, and patience from the Swedish goaltender led to the fifth shootout win of the season, ending in a 4-3 Philadelphia win.

Flyers Blow a 3-0 Lead in Second Period

The Flyers, before going into overtime, had felt comfortable with a three-goal lead early in the second, as a power play marker from Trevor Zegras expanded their lead after two first-period goals separated by 22 seconds. Though a missed too many men on the ice penalty call on the Islanders, the play stood, and the Flyers blinked in what would be the Isles’ first goal of the game.

That still strong, two-goal lead did not last that long, however, as Ersson let in a goal he thought he should have had, and later got punished on a New York power play, though a controversial call on Travis Konecney. Whether it was clean or a penalty, the Islanders took control and scored their third unanswered goal, tying the game.

This had taken place earlier this year, in Montreal. In fact, that was the last game until today in which the Flyers had scored the first goal in the game. That game showed the Flyers jumping to a 3-0 lead in the first period, which ultimately was erased in the second period, showing that they need to find a way to take advantage of the moments when they had that cushion.

Schaefer Makes Flyers Pay, Shows His Potential

One of the main factors that led the Islanders to come back in the game was the young skills of the first overall pick of last year’s draft, Matthew Schaefer, who had no trouble securing his spot on the roster at 18 years old. The young prodigy from Hamilton, Ontario, certainly made the Flyers go through a challenge, as his two points (goal and assist) brought the score even and gave the Islanders their momentum right back.

Coming into tonight, Schaefer walked in with seven goals and nine assists, and a +/- of +8. He is incredible, considering the fact that not only is he a defenseman, but that he is also 18 years old.

Ersson Stands Tall

One of the Flyers’ big struggles up to this point looked as sharp as can be tonight, as Ersson fought his way back and led the Flyers to the 4-3 victory in the shootout behind another spectacular shootout attempt from Zegras. Ersson’s shootout record, after tonight, has improved to 12-3, which is unheard of, especially for a struggling goaltender who holds a controversial spot even as a backup goaltender.

Ersson faced 31 shots against and stopped 28 of them, good enough for a .903 save percentage. For Ersson, that is a great opportunity to get back to his potential he had seen prior to this season. Although Daniel Vladar has looked like a number-one goalie, the Flyers need a number-two, especially if they look to push for a playoff spot.

Flyers Look to Solve Back-to-Back Issues Tomorrow Night

One thing the Flyers have not been able to solve in the last few years is the back-to-back, as they have not impressed of late in those frames. This season, the Flyers are 0-2-0 in the second frame of a back-to-back situation, scoring only one goal in each contest.

The challenge tomorrow night gets harder, as they travel to Newark, New Jersey, to face the first-place New Jersey Devils, tomorrow night at 7:00 PM.

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