First period
Okay, the game has started, let’s see what it looks like, hey Giroux on a whim … does not matter, I think. Things were a bit tame at the beginning of this, with rushing and striking chances coming in clusters. The Flyers dominated the first four minutes, but the Devils dominated most of the next three minutes. Damon Severson came off the wing and took a simple wrist shot. That should be no problem – oh no.
Severson beat Carter Hart with a good shot, but it’s a save you want to make from your goalkeeper. How would the Flyers react? Would it be James van Riemsdyk who continues his warm line? Shayne Gostisbehere? Maybe a correlating goal from an in-depth player like NAK, oh wait, I’m just getting a message. ‘
(Narrator: This is Nate Prosser.)
There you have it, people Nate Pross … excuse me, who now? Yes, Nate Prosser, in his first NHL game in more than two years, found himself in the fold to create a greasy goal to level the game for the Flyers. We may laugh because of its absurdity, but my goodness, what is this a feel-good story? Must be absolutely delighted for the man who just scored his 11th NHL goal.
After all the insanity, this period boiled a messy, sloppy 20 minute hockey. Shot efforts favored the Devils, along with the expected goals, but the score remained tied at one head in the second.
Second period
The next period started a lot like the first, with both teams getting time in the offensive zone and not a bunch of whistles, which was not always a good thing. There seem to have been at least a few missed calls about the Devils, and when there was finally a penalty kick, it was Nolan Patrick who ‘hacked’.
As in the first, the demons began to benefit as the period wore on before finally one of the officials decided it was legal to name a penalty on the team in red. However, nothing would come of it, and surely the Devils a few minutes later got a showdown for the beloved too much offense. The two teams will draw again in the next period, this time for the last 20 minutes.
Third period
Okay, maybe the Flyers can start well this time and continue like this? Well, they certainly got the first part. Michael Raffl scored after burying the rebound on a Connor Bunnaman shooting iron, giving the Flyers the early lead in the final frame. There were not quite a few nice plays in this game, with the ice being rougher than the lives of the hedge fund people. Stonks? I do not know what the hell is going on, someone tells me if I do it right.
The question then was whether the Flyers could sustain it and hold a lead, especially after blowing one in the first game against New Jersey. Well, the captain put his stamp on the game to answer the question. After taking his stick away from him, Giroux got it back just in time to divert an Erik Gustafsson shot through Scott Wedgewood, giving the orange and black a two-goal lead.
They still played a much improved game in the third period behind a very strong effort from the fourth line. They were defensively healthy and gave an intimidating examination that kept the Devils on their heels most of the night. It may not have been the most beautiful pair of victories, but it is regardless of two major victories.