Fedotov, Tippett step up as Flyers rally for shootout victory originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Ivan Fedotov and Owen Tippett answered Thursday night for the Flyers in a 2-1 shootout win over the Lightning at Amalie Arena.
Tippett scored the tying goal with 4:16 left in regulation and was one of two scorers for the Flyers in the skills competition. Travis Konecny scored on the team’s first attempt and Tippett then sealed the deal on the second.
Fedotov, who had lost his backup job, played for the first time in 15 days and earned his first career NHL victory.
The Flyers (5-8-1) improved to 1-1-0 on their tough three-game road trip. They are 2-0 in shootouts this season.
They found a way to generate enough offense – at least that night – without Matvei Michkov. The prized recruit was healthy scratched by head coach John Tortorella. More about this here.
The Flyers won’t see the Lightning (7-6-1) again until March, when the clubs meet two more times in five days.
• With Samuel Ersson and Aleksei Kolosov both unavailable due to lower-body injuries, Fedotov really delivered for the Flyers in Tampa Bay. And for himself.
The 6-foot-7 goaltender had allowed 14 goals in three starts this season, which allowed the Flyers summon Kolosov from AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.
Fedotov took advantage of the opportunity Thursday night, stopping 23 of 24 shots and two more in the shootout. He was more controlled and made some timely saves.
Its only blemish was Nikita Kucherov’s wraparound goal with 45 seconds remaining in the first period.
The Flyers dictated the play more than they had and defended quite well. Nick Seeler had a courageous blocked shot in the final seconds of regulation to help force overtime.
Kolosov was scratched from his debut and is considered day-to-day. Ersson missed a second consecutive match with his injury.
With no one to back Fedotov, the Flyers signed Kyle Konin for an amateur tryout. He wore number 72 on the bench.
The 26-year-old played at Grand Valley State University in 2019-20. He suited up as an emergency backup for the Lightning last season and the Blues in 2021-22.
Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay’s 2018-19 Vezina Trophy winner and two-time Stanley Cup champion, made 31 saves on 32 shots.
The Flyers finally broke it on Tippett’s goal, which came on a nifty backhand. The 25-year-old winger has goals in consecutive games, a very good sign for the Flyers.
• The Flyers went 0 for 2 on the power play without Michkov. The 19-year-old winger leads the club in power play points with seven (three goals, four assists).
But the team’s penalty kill was once again excellent, going 2 for 2 with just one Lightning shot. He is now 12 for 12 over the last five games and is performing at 89.4 percent on the season.
• Up front, Joel Farabee did not score but played a very remarkable match.
At the back, Travis Sanheim and Jamie Drysdale were stable in big minutes.
• Cam Atkinson faced the Flyers for the first time since its acquisition by the club in June.
The veteran winger was denied by Fedotov on a breakaway in the second period.
• The road trip ends Saturday when the Flyers visit the defending champion Panthers (6 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
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