On a night when they honored Kimmo Timonen, the Flyers turned in a defensive performance that served as a fitting tribute.
Against the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Flyers continued to play the tight defense they displayed on Monday. Michal Neuvirth was also on point again.
The Flyers backup goalie turned in his second straight shutout, as the Flyers downed the Chicago Blackhawks, 3-0, on Wednesday night at Wells Fargo Center.
From the start, the Flyers seemed to possess the extra jump in their step. Through a scoreless first period, the Flyers out-shot the Blackhawks, 8-6, and out-hit them, 13-7.
In the second, the Flyers finally got on the board. Sam Gagner fired a wrist shot from the top of the right face-off circle to beat Corey Crawford for his first goal as a Flyer. The power-play tally was assisted by Michael Del Zotto and Brayden Schenn at 5:35.
With the period winding down, another gritty play around the net set up a goal. Michael Raffl came from behind the net and powered to the side of the goal. The loose puck sat in the crease for Claude Giroux, who buried it for his first goal of the season at 16:21. Giroux was playing in his 500th NHL game.
In the third, the Flyers locked it down with solid defense and good goaltending. The Flyers finished with 17 blocked shots and were a perfect 5-for-5 on the penalty kill.
Neuvirth was masterful again. In the second, he stopped a shorthanded breakaway for Marian Hossa and made 15 saves in the third period.
Matt Read ensured a Flyers victory with 2:35 remaining by jumping on a rebound for his second goal of the season.
The Flyers improved to 2-1-1 on the season. They must wait a few days for their next action, when they return to the Wells Fargo Center next Tuesday to face the Dallas Stars. The opening face-off is at 7:30 p.m.
Kevin Durso is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.
