How's that for a weekend?
The Flyers finished off a weekend sweep with their third straight win, an overtime victory over the Washington Capitals.
Let's hit it with our Postgame Review.
Postgame Points
- TK in OT – It's really been quite a stretch of games for Travis Konecny. Since the Flyers returned from Christmas break, Konecny has four goals and six assists for 10 points in 11 games. In the previous 36 games, Konecny had just 10 points, the same four goals and six assists.
It's no coincidence that playing with Sean Couturier and Claude Giroux has helped. But Konecny's not only starting to put up points, but they are timely points. Konecny scored on a breakaway in New Jersey last Saturday to make it a 4-2 game in the third period. He assisted on Couturier's overtime goal on Thursday. He scored the first goal of Saturday's game.
And then there was Sunday's overtime winner. This isn't just a clutch goal. It's a skilled goal. The hustle play along the boards keeps the puck moving forward and allows Konecny to carry into the zone. The cut to the middle was done to perfection and the shot was perfectly placed to be a star goalie like Braden Holtby.
- Tag Team in Goal – Well, after Michal Neuvirth essentially stole Thursday's game and was very good in Saturday's win, Brian Elliott went back between the pipes and turned in a gem of his own, a 27-save win.
It's no secret that Elliott's last start in New York on Tuesday was one of his worst this season. So a bounce back effort like this was a great sign.
If anything, this weekend proved that the Flyers have two capable goalies. Both certainly have their moments and off nights, but they also have helped this team win games, big ones at that.
- PK Comes to Play - Alex Ovechkin's power-play goal aside, this was a really strong game for the Flyers penalty kill. The Capitals got nothing going on their first power play and were struggling to enter the zone on the second before finally getting the puck into Ovechkin's wheelhouse.
But it was the last Washington power play, with 5:20 to go in the third, that made the difference. As the third period went on, this was clearly becoming a game where earning a point in the standings was a moral victory. But to get there, the Flyers needed to fend off the dangerous Washington power play with a penalty kill unit that has still had its share of struggles and not done much to get out of the basement in the league. They came up with the big kill that set the stage for overtime and Konecny's heroics.
- Defensive Special - At this point, there's nothing surprising about Ivan Provorov's steady defensive play. He's built his game around responsibility in the defensive zone and knows when to pick his spots. But Shayne Gostisbehere is a whole different story.
This was a defenseman that was better known for his offensive abilities. And he's been very steady in his own right defensively in the last two games.
Gostisbehere has been put in some difficult situations in these games, having to make plays with good positioning and stick work. He's handled himself very well in these spots and it's shown how much he has grown as an all-around defenseman. Playing alongside Provorov — and vice-versa really — has its perks. But the difference in Gostisbehere's play, in all areas, from one year to the next has been remarkable.
- Playoffs? - Look, it's January and we're barely past the halfway point of the season. So I'm not trying to start some big playoff discussion here. But it can't be ignored that for the first time since Nov. 10, the Flyers will wake up on Monday morning holding a playoff spot. The two points in Sunday's win move them into the first wildcard spot ahead of the Rangers and Penguins, at least for now, but with Pittsburgh idle, they will hold a wildcard spot into Monday.
Back on Dec. 2, the Flyers had lost their 10th straight game, falling to the Bruins, 3-0. Their chances to make the playoffs, according to SportsClubStats.com, was at 9.41 percent. And the Flyers just kept talking about being a playoff team. And chances are you laughed it off.
This wasn't a playoff team. Not a team that lost 10 straight games with no end to their struggles in sight.
Well now the Flyers have a 73.18 percent chance to make the playoffs. So things aren't just looking up. They have changed dramatically.
Give the Flyers credit. This is a team having fun right now. This is a team that took the words of being a playoff team and acted upon it to get back in the race. It's far from over and a lot can change, good or bad, by the end of the season, but the Flyers have handled the difficult part of simply climbing back into the race and now have a chance to finish it off in these last 35 games.
Play of the Game
The play of the game has to go to the hero of the game. Travis Konecny scores the game-winning goal just 27 seconds into overtime to cap off a strong opening shift.
By the Numbers
This is a time when you look at the game flow and advanced stats and smile. The Flyers were virtually outplayed from start to finish, especially in the third period. Shot attempts at 5-on-5 favored Washington 13-4 in the third, just a 23.53 CF% for the Flyers. But the Flyers withstood the constant pressure and made the chance they had in overtime count. This was essentially at least one, if not two points stolen.
