PHILADELPHIA — In the dwindling minutes of the Flyers’ Tuesday night game against the Montreal Canadiens, with the score tied 1-1, center Morgan Frost was as cool as his last name suggests.
Frost went end-to-end with just over two minutes remaining in the third period to score on Canadiens goalie Cayden Primeau, son of former Flyers center Keith Primeau, breaking the tie to help the Flyers to a 3-2 victory. The 23-year-old Frost collected two goals in the Flyers’ fourth-straight victory and winger Owen Tippett scored an empty-net goal. Canadiens winger Rafael Harvey-Pinard mustered a late tally with 23 seconds remaining in the third period, but the Flyers closed out and maintained their lead.
The Flyers were red-hot throughout their seven-game homestead. They went 5-1-1 and averaged 4.14 goals per game.
Some pain, some gain
Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen has been a somewhat new addition to the Flyers’ power play over the last month and a half. He brings a powerful one-timer from the point, scoring in that very fashion against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday. Ristolainen flaunted his one-timer again on the Flyers’ first power play on Tuesday night early in the second period when Frost drew a tripping call.
Defenseman Tony DeAngelo set up Ristolainen for a one-timer at the point, but it was blocked by Harvey-Pinard, who fell to the ice in pain. Harvey-Pinard struggled to get to his feet as the power play continued around him, limiting his efficacy and creating a de-facto two-man advantage for the Flyers. Just as the power play expired, Hayes sent a pass from the goal line to Frost at the bottom of the left circle. Frost fired a wrist shot past Primeau to put the Flyers up, 1-0.
Sloppy mistakes overcome by offense
For the first two periods of the game, the Flyers weren’t capitalizing on their scant chances, failing to provide a cushion for their mistakes. Halfway through the second period, center Scott Laughton lost a defensive-zone draw. Canadiens defenseman Justin Barron shot the puck from a distance along the wall, but the puck was blocked up front in traffic. Laughton and defenseman Justin Braun attempted to play the puck in the slot, but Laughton whiffed on it, turning it over in the slot. Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher collected the loose puck and scored glove side on goalie Felix Sandström to tie the game, 1-1.
The Flyers needed to clean up that sloppiness and get some of their chances to go in the third period in order to defeat the Canadiens. Through the first 15 minutes of the final frame, the Flyers were the more prolific, peppering Primeau with six shots on goal to the Canadiens’ two. Frost netted his second of the night on an end-to-end chance with just over two minutes remaining to put the Flyers up, 2-1.
Sandström stands tall on short notice
Just a few hours before puck drop, the Flyers announced that starting goalie Carter Hart was out with a lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day. In turn, Sandström got his first start in 10 days with Sam Ersson recalled from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms to serve as backup. He was sharp from puck drop and denied all 13 of the Canadiens’ shots on goal in the first period.
In the second period, he bailed out DeAngelo, who turned the puck over in the offensive zone and sent the Canadiens on the rush in the other direction. Sandström robbed Canadiens winger Michael Pezzetta on a 2-on-1 to keep the Flyers in the lead, but Gallagher sniped a goal from the slot to tie the game two minutes later. Sandström finished the night with 27 saves on 29 shots.
What’s next
The Flyers hit the road to take on the Ottawa Senators on Thursday at 7 p.m.
