Hart saves the day as Flyers improve to 9-3-0 since Holiday Break originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
With the help of defense and Carter Hart, the Flyers bounced back quickly with a 2-1 win over the Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Saturday night.
Hart set the stage for the victory before Scott Lawton broke the tie at 9:01 of the third quarter.
Kevin Hayes’ brilliant play in the attacking blue line provided the assist for Lawton, who deftly finished off close range.
Noah Cates scored the winning goal off a Travis Konecny pass to make it 2-0.
The Flyers (20-20-7) are 9-3-0 since the NHL mandated holiday break. During that time, they went 3-0-0 in post-loss games, outscoring their rivals 11-3.
They showed a marked increase in coping with disappointment.
Saturday night was the Flyers’ first game of the season against the Red Wings (19-18-8). The two clubs met two more times in March, both in Philadelphia.
The Flyers went 0-3-0 against Detroit last season.
• Last season, the Flyers didn’t have their 20th win until March 20th.
So getting their 20th win on Jan. 21 was a notable improvement in John Tortorella’s first season off the Flyers’ bench.
But things aren’t getting any easier for the Flyers, who look like they might hit a wall offensively.
They are a young team on the go. Fatigue definitely affects the ability to finish.
The Flyers have averaged two goals per game in their past four games. How they advance these final four games will be closely watched ahead of the eight-day break between Jan. 29 and Feb. 5, which includes the All-Star festivities.
• Hart was outstanding, making 30 saves on 31 field goal attempts.
His best save was his last, when he crossed the line to block Lucas Raymond with four seconds left.
With their nets emptied for the extra skater, the Red Wings eventually beat Hart. After Hart made the initial save, Raymond grabbed the rebound with 43 seconds left.
The Flyers really worked hard on defense, blocking 31 shots. Ivan Provorov led with eight points.
Nicolas Deslauriers had a huge goal at Hart’s door early in the third quarter to keep the game scoreless.
Detroit netminder Ville Husso faced the Flyers for the first time in his career. He stopped 23 of 25 field goal attempts.
• Laughton has 21 points (9 goals, 12 assists) in his last 22 games.
The strength of nine people is even, the strength of six people is strong, and the strength of six people is insufficient.
Versatile and valuable player.
• Provorov needed Rasmus Ristolainen off the bench after blocking a shot with his left leg early in the third quarter.
Provorov of course stayed in the game.
• Cam York showed off his skill level in several looks, one in the first quarter and another in the middle quarter.
The 22-year-old played just under 20 minutes and also recorded four blocked shots.
• The Flyers host the Jets on Sunday (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP). This will be the club’s fifth match in seven days.
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