Brian Elliott
Wins for both the Flyers and Islanders on Monday set the stage for a meeting between the two teams on Tuesday. The two teams are separated by one point in the standings.
In his return to the lineup on Monday, the first game in a stretch of six against teams right in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race, the first shot Carter Hart faced found the net. Hart responded by stopping the next 30 that the Panthers took in the Flyers 4-1 win.
“It was a strong team win, we had saves at the right time, but go figure, we were able to score seven tonight and weren’t able to score one last game.” Go figure is right. After getting shut out by the last-place Devils on Thursday, the Flyers scored seven goals against the Metropolitan Division-leading Capitals. “It’s the beauty of the game,” Vigneault said with a smile.
The Flyers made the most of a chance to get back on track against the Metro’s top team. The Flyers scored three goals early in the second and added three more in the third on their way to a 7-2 win over the Washington Capitals on Saturday night.
The Flyers face the top team in the Metro, the Washington Capitals, on Saturday night. The Flyers have played two very competitive games against the Capitals this season, but also face a critical situation where they need to continue gaining points to keep pace in the division and playoff race.
The New Jersey Devils scored 13 seconds in for the only goal they needed. They also scored in the first two minutes of the second and third periods as well, cruising to a 5-0 win over the Flyers on Thursday night.
The New Jersey Devils come to town on Thursday night, as the Flyers look for their third straight win and fifth in the last six games. The Flyers are also looking to extend a five-game points streak.
Brian Elliott’s first start as the leading netminder with Carter Hart down with injury came on Jan. 16 against St. Louis, a game the Flyers were able to win, 4-3, in overtime. Since that start, Elliott has posted a 4-0-1 record with a 1.58 GAA.
The Flyers took care of business, getting a pair of shorthanded goals, including another from Kevin Hayes, while Brian Elliott made 16 saves in another shutout and the Flyers claimed the 3-0 win over the Red Wings.
For several weeks, the Flyers have been playing the league’s best teams on a consistent basis. The next two games present an opportunity to earn some points against some of the league’s worst teams. It starts on Monday night with a game in Detroit against the last-place Red Wings.