Philadelphia Flyers Beat Montreal Canadiens Behind Konecny’s Two Goals
The Philadelphia Flyers got two goals from Travis Konecny as they beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-3.
Travis Konecny scored two goals on two shots as the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-3. His impact on the top line continues to be felt and he’s a large part of why his team is currently in the top Wild Card spot.
The Canadiens have been struggling, even with All-Star goalie Carey Price back in net. Because the Flyers have often played down to the competition, this looked to be a difficult night. After trading goals to end the second period tied at two, Philly had their work cut out for them.
The Good, the Bad….
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There were a lot of good signs in this win: Claude Giroux delivered on his promise to elevate his play. On top of that, there were two power-play goals and Brian Elliott outplayed Carey Price. There was enough bad to go around, including another shorthanded goal against and some horrendous defensive breakdowns.
However, the good won out on this night. The real story here is youth, and the promise it holds for the future. This year, the Flyers have become a younger team, both on defense and offense. The elder statesman of the offense is Valtteri Filppula, who will see 34 candles on his birthday cake in March. Much maligned defenseman Andrew MacDonald celebrated his 31st birthday a month before the season started.
The youth of the Flyers has been shining of late, with Jordan Weal providing a game-winning goal with three seconds left in OT in Carolina two nights ago. On Thursday night, Konecny had two goals on Price, including the eventual game-winner in the third period.
That goal is certainly one the Habs goaltender would love to have back. Konecny pounced on a Shayne Gosisbehere shot that got behind Price and put it in the back of the net for his 13th goal of the year.
Future So Bright
Under general manager Ron Hextall, the Flyers have stopped their habit of trading away their draft picks and young prospects for slightly past their prime stars. He has let the kids grow down on the farm, even when the fans are screaming for Gostibehere and Samuel Morin.
This was supposed to be the year for overall number two pick Nolan Patrick. While his play has improved recently, Patrick is not having quite the impact that had been hoped. Fortunately for both him and the Flyers, there is plenty of youth to go around this year.
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The Flyers have back to back games this weekend. They play the Coyotes on Saturday and then get their first-ever look at the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday.