Trevor Zegras propels the Flyers' comeback to win it in a shootout over the Islanders
Published in Hockey
PHILADELPHIA — It was a New York State of Mind for the hometown team on Saturday.
Backed by a pair of goals from New York native Trevor Zegras, who also scored a shootout goal, the Philadelphia Flyers clawed back and skated away with a 4-3 win against the visiting New York Islanders.
Matvei Michkov beat countryman Ilya Sorokin in the shootout, and Sam Ersson stopped Anthony Duclair to give the Orange and Black their fourth win in the past six games.
Big shot
Trailing 2-0, the third line of Christian Dvorak, Zegras, and Michkov single-handedly tied things for Philly.
Dvorak made it 2-1 with his second of the season with 9 minutes, 31 seconds left in the second period. Michkov and the center twice had a give-and-go, first in the neutral zone and then once again when the blue line was gained.
Michkov got the puck right up against the left boards and, as Dvorak sneaked behind the Islanders defense, the Russian winger fed Zegras across the ice at the right point. Zegras waited to hit Dvorak as he cut across the crease and the center scored on the backhand.
And then came the big moment: Zegras’ first goal with the Flyers.
Dvorak carried the puck into the offensive zone, and although Islanders defenseman Marshall Warren poke checked him, it went up and off the arm of Dvorak who corralled the puck at the goal line. While doing so, he also drew two Islanders with him, Warren and former Flyers defenseman Tony DeAngleo, giving Zegras the time to accept the pass, pause and beat Sorokin at the top corner.
Turn the lights back on
The second power play unit has looked better as of late, which continued on Saturday. It’s probably why coach Rick Tocchet went with them to start the Flyers’ third power play of the day.
And it worked.
Zegras got his second of the day, this time with the man advantage as he put a rebound shot on Sorokin. Bobby Brink had turned and put a good shot on goal from the right face-off circle that the Islanders goalie stopped before Zegras’ shot led to a mad scramble in front. It took a few seconds but the puck cross the goal line with Noah Cates giving it an extra push afterward to confirm a tie at 3.
Leading up to that moment, the first power-play unit struggled again with the Islanders getting better looks and a goal. Simon Holmström gave the Islanders a 1-0 lead with a short-handed goal 39 seconds into the Flyers first power play of the day during the first period.
The Flyers were in the offensive zone with Jamie Drysdale at the point, Michkov in the right face-off circle and Owen Tippett in the slot as the bumper.
Tippett had some time in the bumper, and there was an open lane for a few seconds but by the time Michkov — who looked like he was planning on making that pass the whole time — tried, it was closed as two guys jumped on Tippett.
Holmström, who is a lefty, was easily able knock the puck away from Tippett, a right-handed shot, as it appeared the red-hot Tippett was looking to shoot instead of drawing two players in and bumping the puck back to Michkov to open even more space.
The Swedish winger got the puck and passed it to Jean-Gabriel Pageau, breaking out two-on-one. Drysdale overcommitted slightly to the puck carrier, Pageau, as Sean Couturier tried to catch up with Holmström. Both Flyers went to Holmström after he got the puck back but he was a stride ahead and was able to beat his countryman, Ersson stick side.
On the Flyers second power play of the day — and with the first power-play unit on the ice — Adam Pelech rang one off the post after a Konecny giveaway in the Flyers zone.
Keeping the faith
Making his third start of the season, and first appearance since Oct. 16, a 5-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets, Ersson made 23 saves on 26 shot attempts.
In the first period, he faced just four shots, 13 in the middle frame and five in the third. He allowed one goal in each period, but the one in the second period the Swede had no chance.
Defenseman Noah Juulsen tried to go D-to-D with Drysdale behind the net but the puck hit the skate of the referee. Duclair tracked it down and tried to feed Anders Lee in front, but he was tied up by two Flyers — one being Juulsen.
The puck sprung loose to Warren, a Long Island kid making his NHL debut, who he put the puck through the crease to Duclair sitting wide open at the right post for the easy goal.
Warren then helped the Islanders take a 3-2 lead when his low point shot was deflected up and over Ersson by Maxim Tsyplakov for his first goal of his NHL career.
Ersson then locked things down.
With the game tied, Tippett was tugged off the puck by Bo Horvat, allowing him to skate in on a two-on-one with Drysdale the only Flyer back. Horvat fed Jonathan Drouin for the quick shot and Ersson made a diving blocker save.
However, he made his best save of the night in overtime, robbing Horvat on a sure goal. After the puck was carried back in by the bodies of Horvat and Cam York, Drouin picked it, and the Islanders forwards had a short two-on-one as Horvat got past York. Drouin fed the former Vancouver Canuck — he crossed paths with Tocchet for a week — and was absolutely robbed by the glove of Ersson.
Breakaways
Flyers prospect Spencer Gill suffered an upper-body injury and could miss 12-15 weeks. The Flyers are still trying to determine whether the defenseman needs surgery or if he can rehab the injury. ... The only change in the lineup was swapping defenseman Adam Ginning in for Egor Zamula on the third pair.
Up next
The Flyers take on the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday. It kicks off ESPN’s Frozen Frenzy triple header with puck drop at 6 p.m. ET.
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