August 06, 2020
It didn't matter that two of their top forwards (James Van Riemsdyk, Michael Raffl) were out Thursday afternoon. It didn't matter that their prodigy goalie (Carter Hart) got the night off. It didn't matter that there were no fans to lift them (they were the best home team in the regular season), nor that their power play unit had nothing to show for six chances.
The Flyers are playing like the best team in hockey right now, and a 3-1 victory over their rivals from Washington in the Toronto bubble continues fueling what could be an epic push for a Stanley Cup letter this summer and spring.
Scott Laughton continues to be red hot, as he's scored in every game so far this August and the team's defense once again suffocated one of hockey's best offenses.
Here's a look at three reasons Philadelphia continues to roll:
After winning convincingly back on Sunday to open the "pool play" stage of the re-start, the Flyers actually gave themselves a whole heck of a lot to play for. The two points they earned over the Bruins put their fate in their own hands, meaning their win against the Capitals and then one vs. Lightning on Saturday can earn them the top seed in the eastern conference.
The Caps game clinched the second seed or better and with win, and the Flyers, who entered the bubble seeded fourth in the east, could find themselves in the top spot on the bracket. That sounds tantalizing.
With the 'W' in this game, Philly's Stanley Cup odds continue their upward trajectory, (they got a little better after they won Sunday) and a re-seeding after each round will give the best seeds in each conference an advantage regardless of there being no home ice inside the bubble. According to TheLines.com, the Flyers entered Thursday with the fifth best championship odds and third best eastern (or Prince of Wales) odds.
If you got in on the Flyers when they were 10-1 to win the cup last week, it was a heck of a good bet. Buy now on the Flyers. Whether you invest money — or emotionally — the Flyers are for real.
A magnificent forecheck led to an even more majestic behind the back pass from Travis Konecny and a wide open net for Laughton to get the Flyers on the board for the first time (with Kevin Hayes nabbing a secondary assist). If you are skipping around or skimming this article, please take a second to watch the highlight below. It's pretty:
This Hayes, TK, Laughton line tho 👌 pic.twitter.com/39zQ4iG0DF
— Broad Street Hockey (@BroadStHockey) August 6, 2020
Back in the winter and spring, the Flyers went 28-7-4 when scoring first, and 13-14-3 when the opponent does. The Flyers also scored first in their pool play opener.
In addition to a stout penalty kill, the Flyers limited Washington to just 17 shots on goal. During the reason Philly allowed just over 28 shots on goal per game, the best mark in the NHL.
Flyers' Goaltender Brian Elliott wasn't called on often, but certainly looked like a more than solid No. 2 option in net should he be called upon during the playoffs to come. He gave up a single goal to Travis Boyd midway through the third as he was blocked by a screen. He redirected a snapshot from Carl Hagelin.
Speaking of defense creating offense, Travis Sanheim found the back of the net during a 4-on-4 situation after some nifty dekes from Hayes, who got his second assist on the play. It might not be quite as aesthetically pleasing as the team's first goal, but it was pretty darn close:
Kevin Hayes to Travis Sanheim! pic.twitter.com/vWddhw5NMr
— Broad Street Hockey (@BroadStHockey) August 6, 2020
The Flyers' slow(ish) starts looked like they might continue Thursday, as the team was unable to get much going during a pair of early power play chances. Though the Capitals did put out an aggressive PK against Philly, the Flyers made some sloppy chances and lacked the urgency one would want from a postseason power play attack. If the team wants to succeed when the Stanley Cup playoffs begin, they'll need to cash in on the gift of early opportunities like the ones they squandered in this one.
Slow starts have plagued the Flyers all season long. Sunday they went scoreless in the first, but on Thursday they bucked a trend from the regular season.
| Period | Goal diff |
| 1st | -8 |
| 2nd | +14 |
| 3rd | +26 |
| OT | +3 |
Of course, Laughton's strike toward the end of the first assured that the Flyers would avoid the fate of the earlier version of their team five months ago. The forward struck again, collecting a redirect just in front of the net to beat Braden Holtby yet again.
Laughton with his second! pic.twitter.com/hG1KBiJcD2
— Broad Street Hockey (@BroadStHockey) August 6, 2020
The second line of Hayes, Konecny and Laughton has eight points in two games.
It is worth noting that the power play was stuck in neutral all game long, going 0-for-6 after the team went empty-handed against the Bruins too.
This content and the links provided are sponsored by thelines.com and playpennsylvania.com, PhillyVoice.com’s Official 2020/2021 Betting Odds Partner, independently created by PhillyVoice.Follow Evan on Twitter:@evan_macy
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