Hart Sets Career-High in Saves in Flyers Win Over Panthers

In the Flyers‘ first six games of the season, the recurring theme is about finding a way. In four of them, they have, due in large part to their goaltender. 

That was no different on Thursday night. Carter Hart stole the show and two more points. After making 17 saves on 19 shots in the first period, Hart made another 31 saves in the final two periods to close out a 4-3 win over the Panthers, setting a career-high with 48 saves on the night.

The Panthers came out firing, getting the first eight shots on goal in the game. One of them found the net at 3:41.

With the Flyers out of sorts in their own zone, Gustav Forsling fired a point shot that leaked through Hart to make it a 1-0 game.

The Flyers had a quick answer three minutes later. Travis Konecny made a no-look, behind-the-back pass to Tony DeAngelo, who quickly fired it home to tie the game at one at 6:41.

Just 77 seconds later, the Panthers regained the lead. A shot by Radko Gudas was stopped by Hart, but left a rebound. Hart couldn’t get to the post in time to stop the put-back chance from Josh Mahura, making it a 2-1 Florida lead at 7:58.

The Flyers got the first power play of the game with just under five minutes to play. Just 20 seconds in, they capitalized. Again, it was Konecny setting up another goal, this time making a cross-crease pass to Scott Laughton for the equalizer at 15:28.

Through 20 minutes, shots were 19-9 Florida.

The Panthers out-shot the Flyers, 12-7, in the second period and had three power plays in the period, but the Flyers did the damage on the scoreboard.

At 10:17, the Flyers scored right off a face-off. Nick Seeler put a shot toward the net that was deflected in the high slot by Zack MacEwen, beating Sergei Bobrovsky to give the Flyers a 3-2 lead. 

Just 72 seconds later, the Flyers padded the lead. Kevin Hayes was stopped on a breakaway, but regained control and centered for Joel Farabee, who scored his second goal of the season to make it 4-2.

Part of the third power play for Florida carried over into the third. Just 36 seconds into the period, the Panthers finally cashed in. A rebound made its way to Brandon Montour, and he was able to lift a backhand over Hart to make it a 4-3 game.

The Panthers made their push for the remainder of the period, putting 20 shots on goal in the final period, but Hart finished off his fifth win on the young season.

Bobrovsky made 18 saves in the loss. 

Farabee had a goal and an assist. Hayes and Konecny each had two assists in the win. 

The Flyers close out a three-game homestand on Saturday night when they take on the Carolina Hurricanes at 7 p.m.

Box Score

Scoring Summary

1st Period

• FLA Gustav Forsling (1) (Carter Verhaeghe) 3:41
• PHI Tony DeAngelo (2) (Travis Konecny, Joel Farabee) 6:41
• FLA Josh Mahura (2) (Radko Gudas, Colin White) 7:58
• PHI Scott Laughton (3) PP (Konecny, Kevin Hayes) 15:28

2nd Period

• PHI Zack MacEwen (2) (Nick Seeler, Nicolas Deslauriers) 10:17
• PHI Farabee (2) (Hayes, Owen Tippett) 11:29

3rd Period

• FLA Brandon Montour (2) PP (Sam Reinhart, Matthew Tkachuk) 0:36