On Dec. 9, the Philadelphia Flyers (16–9–3) hosted the San Jose Sharks (14–14–3), with both teams outplaying their preseason expectations. After dominating early, the home side came out on top, 4–1.
Game Recap
The first period was all Flyers, but the ice-breaker belonged to the Sharks via a defensive breakdown. Collin Graf struck at the 11:33 mark for his sixth of the campaign, courtesy of John Klingberg and Will Smith.
With just under a minute and a half left in the opening frame, Philadelphia righted the ship. Christian Dvorak notched his seventh of the season off assists from Trevor Zegras and Travis Konecny—his 500th career point.
Shots favored the Flyers 16–3, a team usually known for not shooting the puck much.
The second period was a lot closer (10–8 Flyers), but Philadelphia finished on its opportunities this time. Carl Grundström, a call-up from the American Hockey League (AHL) to replace injured forward Tyson Foerster, got on the board. Not only was it his first goal, but it was the team’s first fourth-line goal of the campaign. Nick Seeler and Travis Sanheim got the assists.
Related: Flyers’ Ability to Play With a Lead Is Critical to Their Success
Late in the frame, Noah Cates extended the lead with his seventh of the season. Bobby Brink and Jamie Drysdale added assists.
The third period was fairly low-event—the teams combined for under half a dozen shots until the Sharks emptied their net. With 1:43 left, Konecny potted one in the empty cage to make the final 4–1.
Between the pipes, Dan Vladař stepped up after allowing the first goal, turning aside 17 of 18 shots for Philadelphia. For San Jose, Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 26 of 29.
What’s Next for Flyers & Sharks?
Up next, the Flyers face the Vegas Golden Knights (14–6–8) in a home-ice clash on Dec. 11 at 7 p.m. EST. Meanwhile, the Sharks will be back in action on the road vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs (14–11–4) on the same date and at the same time (4 p.m. PST).
