The Philadelphia Flyers returned home after a thriller on Tuesday evening to take on Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers. Speed, youth, and tenacity were on display all evening long.
Radko Gudas returned to the lineup from an illness, which caused him to lose 12 pounds. The beard still looks great though.
Steve Mason has been spectacular over the course of the last few weeks.
He was tested early by the speed of Edmonton. Made had the answer.
McDavid isn’t the only member of the Oilers with speed. On cue, Leon Draisaitl blew by the Flyers’ defense and put one past Mason to take an early 1-0 lead.
But McDavid would continue to be a pest the entire period, making the Orange and Black defense look null and void thanks to his speed.
Philadelphia would battle back, however.
Jake Voracek, the hero from Tuesday night, began to take over. He first one-handed a pass over to Michael Raffl, who was stopped in front.
Then he would give Raffl another golden opportunity, but was stopped by the post.
That close to tying it up.
The first period ended but not without some fireworks. McDavid and Brandon Manning exchanged pleasantries along the boards.
Then Voracek and the red-hot Wayne Simmonds almost tied it up on the power play.
If you thought there were some fireworks in the first, then you were in for a treat in the second. Raffl continued to play a strong game, throwing his body around to cause havoc.
Then McDavid and Manning continued their jousting and exchanging of words.
And McDavid backed it up on the power play with a strike from the wing.
Then skating straight up to Manning and chirping at him.
It was 2-0 and the Flyers were on the edge, but they would strike back. In fact, they would… Streit back. Mark Streit ripped a blast to the top corner to get the Flyers on the board.
What a blast.
They weren’t done there yet. Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, who thought he had scored his first of the season a week ago, finally potted his first of the season and it was a beauty to tie things up.
The Flyers then dove straight into the lead, literally.
Voracek had been involved early and often all game long. He picked up a loose puck and dished it over to Claude Giroux, who put everything he had and then some into the shot, blasting one past Jonas Gustavsson to put the Flyers up 3-2.
The Flyers scored three goals in 1:12 and things looked up, but Edmonton would get one back towards the end of the period. McDavid powered his way through two defenders and started a play which would end with an Andrej Sekera blast to tie the game heading into the third period.
The fireworks continued into the third period. Mason made a safe after Gudas negated a scoring chance with his stick.
Then Benoit Pouliot beat Mason to give Edmonton a 4-3 lead.
Oscar Klefbom ripped a shot past Mason to make it 5-3.
Things were looking very bleak. The Flyers were getting beaten in all aspects. Even Giroux felt the pain.
But on the man advantage, the Flyers would get within one. Voracek, who we talked about all throughout the evening, sniped one past Gustavsson to put the Flyers within a goal.
Snipe city.
Giroux moved into 5th All-Time in Flyers history with that assist.
Raffl tried to get the Flyers back even, but missed wide. He had chances all evening but no luck.
Then McDavid had a similar play happen to him from last season, going hard into the boards.
He chased down Ivan Provorov to negate a chance in front, causing a collision.
This was after Provorov owned him in his own end to start a rush.
Minutes later, Gudas keep the puck in the zone, skated in around the net and found Giroux open in front to tie it up.
That’s right, another even-strength goal at home in the same game.
Celly hard, Claude.
Late in regulation, Voracek capped his game by springing Raffl down the wing.
Raffl, using his stutter step, got by the defender and used his strength to power through Edmonton’s defense and finally put one home.
What a find by Voracek.
And that finish from Raffl.
Chris VandeVelde would have a huge block on a McDavid shot with less than 30 seconds in regulation to help seal the win.
And the celebration was on… for the seventh-straight game.
High five Jake if you won!
How we feeling, Flyers fans? Like Claude Giroux, obviously.
What a win. Flyers return to the ice Saturday afternoon against Dallas.
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Sons of Penn Radio (December 7th)
On this episode of SOP Radio, we celebrate a six-game win streak, the stellar play of Steve ‘Mase Daddy’ Mason, and admire the dominance of the Flyers youth movement.
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