Philadelphia Flyers win their fifth game in a row
With a 4-1 win over the New York Rangers on Thursday, 4 November, the Philadelphia Flyers won their fifth-straight game and, for the time being, are number one in the Eastern Conference.
How it happened
After a scoreless first period which saw the Flyers dominate, outshooting the Rangers 8-2, it wasn't until the second period when things really began to get going with the Rangers opening the scoring on
the power play through Brandon Dubinsky who scored his eighth of the season.
The Flyers answered right back on a powerplay of their own when Claude Giroux found Jeff Carter with an unbelievable no-look cross-crease pass which Carter fired first-time into the roof of the net.
Blair Betts and Nikolai Zherdev each got their third of the season for the Flyers to finish the second period up 3-1.
Chris Pronger added a fourth goal for the Flyers on a power play in the third period with his third of the season to round out the scoring.
What they're saying
Rangers head coach John Tortorella explained how the second period impacted the rest of the game swinging momentum in the Flyers favor when he spoke with reporters after the game.
"We didn't generate enough offense and, even though they scored four, they really didn't generate a lot either," he said. "They are too good a team to give a big lead. Those second and third goals kind
of swung the momentum."
Flyers forward Blair Betts, who played four seasons with the Rangers, was one of the standout performers on the night earning the game's third star. "I was there for a few years but, for me, it's just
nice to score since I don't do it very often," he said. "But to do it against a former team does make it a little more special."
"It's pretty consistent with Blair. He's one of the best at what he does in the League as far as penalty-killers and playing a good defensive game," Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said of Betts. "When you
play the game properly, you get some opportunities once in a while. His game is very consistent, there's not a lot of maintenance to him. He goes about his business and is a professional, and he does it very well."
The Flyers have now ridden their five-game win streak to the top of the Eastern Conference. They prepare to take on the New York Islanders, in Long Island, on Saturday, 6 November.
The Rangers play on back-to-back nights as they head to New Jersey to take on the Devils on Friday night.
Tags: