Instant reactions: Matvei Michkov FINALLY SCORES, Dan Vladar Fantastic in Flyers win

Watch PHLY Flyers Postgame

It took most of the first period for the Philadelphia Flyers to wake up, but luckily Dan Vladar was the goalie Philly saw in his first six starts, keeping them in the game long enough for the offense to show up in Nashville.

Matvei Michkov broke a nine-game goal drought, scoring his second of the season, and Noah Cates continued his strong start to the campaign, netting his fourth. Travis Konecny added an empty-netter to extend his point streak to six games, and the Orange & Black have rebounded from last weekend to win two straight on the road.

It was a physical, hard-fought game that saw Philly spend way too much time in their own end, but really limit the Predators’ shots and chances, allowing only 13 shots to reach Vladar in the final 40 minutes.

First period

The Flyers get a scoring chance right away, but Owen Tippett found the crossbar, and then the Preds took over, scoring 1:44 in when a Filip Forsberg shot deflected off of Jamie Drysdale and Ryan O’Reilly, fluttering into the net. Dan Vladar never saw it, and they’re down 1-0. Nashville has a ton of jump and nearly made it 2-0 a shift later but Vladar made an arm save to keep it a 1-goal game. Peter Laviolette would call timeout if he was coaching Philly.

After a little more time on defense, Travis Sanheim gets loose for a breakaway on a feed from Bobby Brink, but Juuse Saros denied the backhand attempt, the Flyers first official SOG of the game.

Matvei Michkov tried his best Trevor Zegras impression with a behind-the-back pass but it was intercepted, but he got back on D to break up the entry pass, but he then immediately turned it over for a scoring chance, but Vladar was there again. This game is not off to the same start as Montreal.

Halfway through the period and the Flyers are still sitting on one shot. Vladar has been under siege, and it feels like he’s seen a lot more than eight shots so far.

The Michkov – Couturier – Brink trio got some o-zone time with about seven minutes left, and worked hard down low along the boards to maintain possession and finally got a scoring chance for Brink in the slot, their first SOG in nine minutes, but no luck. The shift does seem to have steadied Philly, though, as they’re finally spending some time in Nashville’s end.

More great work down low by Nikita Grebenkin and Noah Cates got a chance out front for Travis Konecny, but again, Saros is there. Shots are 9-6 in favor of the Preds with five minutes left, as the Orange & Black have finally arrived at the arena for the game.

With 25 seconds left, the Flyers are getting a PECOOOOOO Power Play!

Well, they don’t score, so now they’ll have the dreaded “clean sheet of ice” and 1:35 of man-advantage time to start the second. I don’t think they’ve ever scored in this situation. Not once since 1967.

In better news, Vladar seems to have rebounded from his rough outing in Montreal. He stopped nine of 10 in the opening frame, and the goal was stupid. Not counting that one against him. But after giving up eight goals on the last 39 shots he’s faced, his response was a very interesting part of this game. So far, so good.

Second period

BIG SGHOCK! The Flyers did nothing with the carryover power play. But at least the Flyers have evened the shot battle at 10 three-and-a-half minutes into the second.

MATVEI MICHKOV SCORED A GOAL! HALLELUJAH!

Bobby Brink got hit in the open ice on the right wing side but kept possession alive and Coots was able to work the puck over to Cam York on the left point, and despite an obvious, uncalled hold, York carried the puck down low and found Michkov in front and the slumping sophomore buried it to tie the game.

The Flyers are piling on the pressure and chances, spending a ton of time in the zone, and with 12:35 left, Philly is actually outshooting the yellow guys, 12-11 after trailing 9-1 at one point in the first.

The Preds rebuilt momentum midway through the period, but to this point Vladar has been AWESOME (a little frantic, but awesome, nonetheless) with chaos in front and Smashville peppering him with shots from all angles.

Nashville has picked up the physical intensity and thought they had a 2-on-1 chance, but the play was blown offside, and a scrum ensued as the shot was taken well after the whistle. Honestly, it didn’t look offside in real time, but I’ll certainly take it.

Owen Tippett goes to the box with 5:49 left for a fairly light hook (stick lift). The Flyers PK has been great this year, but did surrender two to the Habs on Tuesday. Nashville’s 27th ranked PP isn’t quite as dangerous as Montreal’s, luckily, and with a few seconds left on the penalty, Garnet Hathaway finished a check on Steven Stamkos a little after the whistle, and Stamkos threw a punch right to Hathaway’s face, which lead to another rough gathering. Stamkos, Marchessault, Hathaway and Sanheim all got sent to the box with roughing minors, so the Preds will finish the last six seconds of their power play, which Philly killed.

This period has been ill-tempered, and it’s pretty fun. Game is tied at one, so there’s not going to be fireworks yet, but it does seem like this thing could get a little crazy.

NOAH CATES PUTS THE FLYERS AHEAD! Drysdale takes a wrister from the top of the circles, and the rebound lands right in front of a driving Cates, with Brink also going to the front. Shoot for rebounds and get to the net, just as Rick Tocchet discussed pregame.

Vladar was tested a couple of times in the final minute, with Forsberg putting on a stick-handling display in the middle of Philly’s zone, but the Flyers’ netminder escaped the period unblemished, stopping all 10 shots he faced.

Third period

After he was a turnover machine in the first and scoring thegame-tying goal in the second, it will be interesting to see Michkov’s usage in the third with the Flyers protecting a one-goal lead. Mich has played 9:45 so far, so he’s on pace for around his average 15 minutes. We’ll see how Tocchet utilizes him.

Tocchet also spoke pregame about finding more minutes for Emil Andrae. Andrae has skated for 8:15 so far, so he should surpass the 10-minute mark, which he’s only surpassed once in three NHL games this year.

Tyson Jost throws his head back on a hit to his shoulder, but it fools the officials, so Noah Juulsen is going to the box for roughing 2:16 into the period, but the Flyers survive, allowing no shots on goal, although a few chances missed just wide.

Nashville has had some significant zone time in the middle part of the period, but Philly’s D is doing a good job of not just keeping the attack to the outside, but creating battles along the boards and neutralizing the danger by keeping pucks tied up and forcing clears and regroups.

Apparently the embellishment I accused Jost of was actually a friendly-fire high-stick, with his own lumber catching him in the face. Nevertheless, the officials got the call wrong.

Getting in on the forecheck, Hathaway gave a little extra after he finished off Brady Skjei with a hit in the corner, and now he’s going to the box for roughing. The Flyers had finally spent a couple shifts at the other end after playing back most of the period, but now the Preds have a power play with 8:24 left. Despite all the zone time, Nashville has only registered one shot on Vladar in the third, so let’s see if the Flyers can continue the defensive effort.

THEY GET THE KILL! Three-for-three on the night.

Stamkos clearly boards York right after the kill, forearm on the numbers going into the wall, but the referees say play on.

Watch PHLY Flyers Postgame