The Philadelphia Flyers got back in the win column against the Buffalo Sabres, with an impressive 5-1 victory on the road. How did the Flyers pull off the win?
Strong Start Propels Flyers
Even though they didn’t record a shutout, the Flyers had scored the game-winning goal under two minutes into the game. They struck twice before the two-minute mark, with forward Scott Laughton registering his first goal of the season, and defenseman Louie Belpedio scoring the first goal of his NHL career. Both of them struck within 30 seconds of one another, setting the tone for the rest of the match. The Sabres would never really threaten to simply tie the game from that point forward.
The Flyers have been a great first-period team this season, but this was probably their best. By intermission, they had a 3-0 lead on Buffalo, and they were out of the game before it had really even started. The resilience of the Flyers was a big key to their victory, as they would not let up a single inch. Even though they played hard until the end, their big lead certainly helped their confidence.
The Flyers’ start almost took the Sabres out of the game. In their last matchup on Nov. 1, the Flyers were arguably the much better team, but that didn’t show up on the scoreboard. This game didn’t go much different other than the fact that the Flyers had such a terrific start to it. This helped them close the game out much better than they did previously.
Flyers’ Offensive Depth a Major Strength
The Flyers’ offensive depth was known to be one of their strengths entering this season, but the extent of it has been rather unprecedented. With Sean Couturier missing this game, it gave Ryan Poehling a chance to slot back into the lineup after being a healthy scratch in his previous two matches. He took well advantage of it, making a flawless pass to Garnet Hathaway for a goal.
Poehling is just one example of the Flyers’ spectacular offensive depth. When Couturier is back, taking him or any of his teammates out of the lineup would be an incredibly difficult decision to make. Everybody is doing their part, and that is one of the reasons why the Flyers have played so well this season.
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Having an overwhelming amount of depth offensively is a good issue to have. It is something that the Flyers struggled with last season, having dozens of line combinations on the campaign. Possessing players who are all earning ice time but not having enough to distribute has been a great change. The Flyers’ depth offensively will continue to be incredible. Injuries are unfortunately a part of the game, but they do allow depth players to earn their spots back in the lineup. That was the case here, and that could continue as the season moves on.
Ersson Got His Swagger Back
With Carter Hart’s injury, goaltender Sam Ersson was the starter for this matchup. He had struggled mightily before this game, and really needed to have a solid game in order to get back on track. In this one, he was fantastic, stopping 21 of the 22 shots he faced. The 24-year-old seems to be back, and this win could be big for his confidence moving forward.
Ersson had to make some tough saves in this game, which has really been a theme for him this season. His goals saved above expected (GSAx) ranked as the worst in the NHL prior to this game by a pretty substantial margin, given how early it is in the season. Though the point of GSAx is supposed to factor out team defense, even the analytics hadn’t done him many favors.
Related: Hockey Advanced Analytics: What Are They & Why Are They Important?
It was great for Ersson to finally have a good start, as he seems to be the clear-cut backup netminder on the roster. Hart’s injury has given him an opportunity to begin his comeback to a respectable campaign, even if he is not projected to be out for too long. If he can get consistent starts, he can be a much better goaltender. He got a chance to avenge himself and didn’t look back.
Farabee, Brink Still Have Magic Touch
Young forwards Joel Farabee and Bobby Brink have been playing on a line for nearly the entire season. Connecting on the final goal of the game off of the former having a sensational steal in the defensive zone and setting up a breakaway goal. Their chemistry has been unrivaled by any other duo on the team, and they continued to hum in this game.
Farabee and Brink have both seen tremendous progression in their game this season. They have connected well in the early going, and have really been a spark for the Flyers all season long. They have been no stranger to making top lines look bad, and did exactly that to Buffalo. They have both been immensely reliable for the Flyers, and continued to be just that in this game.
The Flyers have a back-to-back with the Los Angeles Kings coming to Wells Fargo Center on Nov. 4. The Flyers will look to defeat a formidable foe, with them holding a record of 6-2-2 on the season.